Together With You: A Journey Across Remnant
by MakaS0ul
Summary: Weiss escapes from Atlas Castle to be free of her father's expectations, but when night falls, Beowolves chase her down an embankment where she severely injures herself. She wakes up to find herself under the care of Yang, a slightly soft-spoken sell-sword. The two connect and agree to journey across Remnant together. Freezerburn. Medieval AU.
1. An Evening Fall Through the Woods

**Hello, hello, everyone! It's your favorite inconsistent author, MakaS0ul! For those of you who don't know me, I'm moving from the Bleach fandom (which I'd been all but absent from) into some new ones! My latest passion: YURI! I wanted to try my hand at writing some yuri, since that's basically what I've been into lately. By lately, I mean for the past year or so. Plus, I love RWBY dearly and have forced my roommates to watch it! (Sorry, not sorry.) Though I do love me some Bumblebee and WhiteRose, Freezerburn has been my latest pairing interest. Something about Weiss together with Yang just clicks for me. Anyway, I'll run my mouth more at the bottom, so for now, on with the story!**

The white haired girl heard the howl of Beowolves closing in on her, so she did the only thing she could; she ran. Blackened trees with gnarled branches rushed past as her body kicked into overdrive, her blood and adrenaline pumping faster than ever before. The night was clear and the full moon shined down, lighting the girl's path enough so that she didn't run directly into the trunks of the many trees she dodged.

She couldn't tell where she was running to or how close the Beowolves were, but she continued to push her legs to their limits. Soon though, her speed began to exceed her ice blue eyes' ability to process her surroundings in the inky darkness and her foot caught on a root protruding from the forest floor.

As she fell, she could hear the snarling and panting of the Beowolves fast approaching, their howls signaling the other members of the pack that their next meal was close. The girl began to tumble down a large embankment, twisting, turning, and rolling through the darkness. She barely registered that the Beowolves had stopped their pursuit, likely due to the tumble she was taking, but her thoughts quickly left her when she slammed into a tree, her ribs and sternum cracking in protest.

She couldn't even cry out as she felt the oxygen leave her body with the impact before she continued her descent and felt her back smash into another tree. This too forced what little oxygen she had regained back out once more. The girl could only wonder how much longer her fall would take as she felt her ankle catch on another root and crack underneath the pressure, throwing her legs-first into another tree. She was greeted with the sound of more cracking before her left eye was slashed by a passing branch and she finally smashed her head into yet another tree and blacked out.

The girl was greeted with the sound of crackling, from what she could assume was a fire, and the sound of a stream dribbling nearby. Her eyes shot open and she attempted to sit up, only to be hit by a bout of pain and a wave of nausea, which forced her to lie back down. She shut her eyes, willing the nausea to subside before she opened them once more. Why was she alive? She had been battered by an entire forest! There was no way she could be alive!

From where she lay, she could see a semicircle of fir trees around her. The trees were cut off by a small stream that glistened in the waning moonlight and appeared to lead down to a lake. Focusing her attention back to the fire, she noticed there were some fish roasting over it, speared through with sticks and nicely browned. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl noticed a bag –more of a burlap sack—that lay atop a rough spun blanket. She was not alone, and as she registered that thought in her throbbing head, she heard the sound of footsteps along the gravel of the stream.

She stiffened. Someone was coming! From what she could see, the footsteps came from a tall, well-built woman. She stood at likely no less than 6 feet tall and seemed to purely be made of muscle. Truly, she had never seen a woman quite like the one before her.

The woman's eyes were a deep purple, like amethyst dust crystals, and she had a mane of waist-length blonde hair that seemed to glow with the firelight. She wore a ragged brown cloak that had clearly seen better days, and covering her well-endowed chest was some iron plate armor, rife with scratches from no doubt countless battles and encounters with Grimm. The rest of her body was covered with more pieces of armor, though she was far from being as covered as the knights back in the castle.

From her place on the ground, the girl's icy eyes caught a glint on the woman's wrists. Squinting, she realized that the woman had golden gauntlets that were wrapped with glowing fire dust crystals. That was not a weapon that one saw every day, even at the yearly fighter's tournaments that Atlas Castle held. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly an experienced fighter, and not someone to hastily attempt to escape from.

The woman made her way over to the fire, examining the fish before taking them away from the flames and settling on the blanket. Her lilac eyes made their way over to the girl before she rose, realizing the girl was awake, and sat next to her, resting the fish against some rocks that surrounded the fire.

Her face betrayed no emotion as she lifted the blanket that covered the injured girl and glanced her up and down; checking on the bandages and splints that covered her body. By this point, she looked like a mummy, and about the only thing that appeared unharmed was the majority of her face and neck. She then locked eyes with the girl, seemingly asking if she was ok.

"Did you save me?" the white haired girl croaked out, her voice rough and raw.

The woman simply nodded, then gestured to the bandages, indicating that she took the liberty of patching her up.

"Who are you? Where am I?" she managed before coughing roughly.

At this, the woman reached over and steadied her shoulders as her body was wracked by the coughs. When her body settled, she opened her mouth and said softly, "Yang Xiao Long. 2 day's ride from Atlas capital." It seemed she could speak when necessary.

A moment later, she reached for a stick and began to draw in the dirt. From what the practically mummified girl could see, it appeared to be a body. When the woman finished, she gestured to the head, back, shoulders, collarbone, ribs, sternum, arms, legs, the right ankle, the left eye, and both feet before looking at her.

"Is that everything that I hurt?" the icy eyed girl breathed out. Her head throbbed and her entire body ached, as if it was signaling the affirmative. Yang nodded. "Wonderful," the injured girl said bitterly.

Yang then reached over and grabbed a stick with a thoroughly roasted fish and gestured towards Weiss. She seemed to be asking if the smaller girl was hungry. The girl's stomach rumbled at the sight of the fish before she tried to reach for it.

She hissed at the newfound pain that shot from her arm and immediately brought it back down. Clearly, moving was going to be a challenge.

Seeing this, Yang began to tear small pieces of the fish off and brought her hand to the girl's mouth. She was going to feed her!

The white haired girl was reluctant, but sighed, realizing that there was no way she was going to be able to eat by herself in her condition, and resigned herself before opening her mouth hesitantly.

Yang gently slid the fish into the girl's waiting mouth. She seemed to sigh happily at the taste of the fish hitting her tongue; a reassuring gesture towards Yang's untested cooking skills. More pieces were torn off and slid into the girl's mouth until the fish was nothing but bones.

"Thank you for… well… everything you've done," she said, a small smile making its way onto her face. "I thought I was going to die when those Beowolves came after me. Honestly, I'm surprised I survived my fall down the embankment." The girl seemed to have adopted a rather blunt attitude toward her brush with death. "Yang?" she queried, her voice not much more than a whisper.

Yang nodded, signaling the girl to proceed with whatever she wanted to say. Her eyes conveyed warmth, but the rest of her face remained unreadable.

"What do you plan to do with me? You're under no obligation to take care of me, though I appreciate what you've done for me so far. If you wanted, you could leave me here to die, much like that damned wagon driver did when we were attacked by an Ursa." Her voice was full of venom with the recollection of the man who left her to die in the woods in the dead of night. "When I find him…"

"I will not leave you," Yang said, snapping Weiss's attention back to the golden haired girl. "I have no destination, no goal, no purpose." Lilac eyes met wide icy ones to ensure the nearly-mummified girl could see her sincerity. "I will be with you until you no longer need or want me."

The girl's eyes widened further at the bold declaration; she did not know this woman, so she could not fathom why she would be so keen to help her, a stranger. "So if I decided that I wanted to find some holy sword across the world and become a knight of the round, you'd follow me?" she asked, her voice full of skepticism.

Yang nodded. "If that is what you wish to do, then I will follow."

"And if I wanted to become a dictator and wipe out village after village in some mad quest for power?"

"I would follow you." She looked at her large, calloused hands a moment before meeting the injured girl's eyes again. "As I said, I have nothing to live or work for. I am nothing but a wandering sword."

"So what you seek is an employer? A master? I have little coin, so I can't afford to employ you."

Yang remained silent for a moment and looked away before opening her mouth once more. "I seek… a purpose; whether that be as a sell-sword, a soldier, a guard, or a traveling companion. I need not be paid."

The white haired girl released a breath, almost laughing as she tilted her head slightly. "I get it, but I don't really have a purpose myself. I have no aspirations for power, for knowledge, or for some kind of destiny. All I've been doing is running away from home." She scrunched her face, clearly displeased with the thought. "Honestly, I haven't thought about what to do after escaping that hell. I don't think I can offer you the purpose you desire."

"Why did you run away? Is someone after your life?" the blonde asked, her voice gentle yet slightly hopeful at the prospect of a job.

The icy eyed girl paused, debating whether or not she should share her story. She hardly knew the blonde. Still, Yang had saved her life; perhaps she should trust the woman. She glanced at the blonde's eyes briefly before relenting.

"I… am Princess Weiss Schnee, heir to the Atlesian throne," she breathed; her voice quiet and hesitant. Yang's eyes went wide before she calmed and gestured for Weiss to continue.

"I left the castle because… I didn't want to live under my father. Day after day, my father drained my childhood from my elder sister and I. We weren't allowed to be children, nor were we allowed to be ourselves. My sister was perfect in his eyes; the ideal of elegance and regality, and better yet, she followed his every command to the letter. To him, I was nothing more than an eyesore; an imperfection that did nothing but embarrass him on a consistent basis."

Weiss's eyes began to water as she recalled the hellish days in the castle. Yang noticed this and rested a calloused hand on Weiss's forehead. The smaller girl sighed into the contact; Yang's hand was warm, almost burning hot, as if her entire body was made of fire, yet Weiss felt that the heat could never burn anyone. Instead, it felt like it would envelop you, like the warmth of a blanket on a freezing winter night.

"Thanks," Weiss breathed, her eyes still shut. Yang nodded and softly stroked a thumb across Weiss's brow. Her thumb then brushed against Weiss's left eye, sliding over a newly formed scar. The pink skin traced a line from above Weiss's brow to the top of the girl's pale cheek; a memento from her fall down the embankment.

"Can you… see out of your left eye?" Yang asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

Weiss's eyes fluttered open after Yang's ministrations stopped. "Yes, why?" Her brow furrowed at the question. Why would Yang ask something like that? Especially after the revelation of her heritage…

Yang paused, glancing away briefly before meeting the smaller girl's gaze. "You… have a scar over it. It's not very big though."

Weiss's icy eyes widened for a second, but returned to their normal state just as quickly. A slight grin split Weiss's face; it didn't matter whether she was perfect anymore! She didn't have to be perfect for her father anymore! Good riddance! A soft giggle escaped Weiss's mouth, surprising Yang.

"Why are you laughing?" Yang asked, surprised at the former princess's cheerful demeanor. She'd expected the girl to cry, to become angered, or really to react in any other way besides laughter.

"Well… my father had always stressed perfection. Everything we did had to be done gracefully, swiftly, and perfectly. Even regarding our personalities and appearances: perfection was the only option." Weiss stopped for a minute to laugh a bit. "As I said before, my father had always thought I was imperfect, and now," Weiss grinned again, her eyes crinkling at the corners, "I'm finally 'truly imperfect.' Now, he no longer has to imagine imperfections to criticize me for; I now have an actual, tangible imperfection."

At this point, Yang was completely lost. What was this girl talking about? As if sensing the blonde's confusion, Weiss spoke up again.

"Basically, I can piss my father off by showing him this scar. He will condemn me for trying to bring shame upon the _glorious_ Schnee name by being anything less than perfect." The sarcasm dripping off of the word "glorious" was almost tangible. Clearly, Weiss wasn't upset about the scar. If anything, she was proud of it.

Yang couldn't suppress a giggle at this. Truly, the former princess was an interesting girl. "Well… what were you planning to do once you left the castle?" Yang tilted her head, interested to hear the answer.

Weiss's face was tinged with a slight pink before she looked away. "Well… the thing is… I hadn't really gotten that far…"

Yang chuckled; she'd expected something like that. "Surely you must have some idea."

Weiss looked up to the sky that was getting brighter by the minute; it would be dawn soon. "I suppose I want to see the world. There are so many different people and cultures, and I would like to explore them." She let out a small, slightly bitter laugh. "All I've seen so far is this accursed forest though."

The blonde chuckled. "And? What is your impression of the forest so far?"

"Dreadful. I think I'd rather sit through an extended lecture from Mr. Port, one of my former tutors, than spend any longer in these woods."

The two women shared a laugh before Yang glanced at the sky. "It should be dawn soon, which means many of the Grimm will disappear soon." The smaller girl shivered at the mention of the creatures which put her in her current state.

"I thought Grimm were around no matter the time of day. Are they nocturnal?"

Yang shook her head, her mass of blonde hair swaying with each shake. "You're right; Grimm are around at all times. During the day, the amount simply lessens. Nobody knows where they disappear to during the day, but it is a well-known fact that more of them appear at night."

Weiss paused for a moment. "Do they have an aversion to light?"

The blonde nodded. "That's what many think. That's why it's important to build a large fire if you're in an area with Grimm at night; they tend to avoid those who've done so."

"That stupid driver," Weiss spat. "He had no torches on his wagon. It's no wonder we were attacked! Honestly, when I find him, he'll wish he had been caught by Grimm instead!"

Yang burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her sides. The former princess was a fiery one for sure! Said former princess chuckled at the sight of Yang; one would have thought that the former princess had told an actual joke, not threatened a man. The woman before her had been so soft spoken before, and now she had begun to open up to a stranger in just a matter of hours.

The blonde wiped her eyes and caught her breath; she hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Still, Yang wanted to get back to the earlier matter. After a moment, she cleared her throat, "Miss Schnee—"

"Weiss."

The blonde coughed. "Weiss, if you would allow it, I would like to accompany you on your journey to see the world. While there are many good people, there are also many dangerous people, and I would like to keep you safe from those people that would try to do you harm." Lilac eyes fixed onto icy ones.

The former princess stared at Yang before looking back to the early morning sky and sighing. "I can't pay you."

"I know that."

"I've no desire for power or anything like that."

"I know that." The blonde's voice was firmer this time.

"I'll be traveling for an indefinite period of time with no real destination."

"I know that." The blonde's voice was soft as she reached over and gently placed her hand over the white haired girl's. "I know that, but even still, I want to accompany you."

Weiss glanced back at Yang. "Why? Wouldn't anyone do? Why do you so desperately want to accompany me?" Her voice wasn't angry, but instead, rather matter-of-fact.

The wandering sword shook her head, her hand still gently holding the former princess's. "No, nobody else would do."

"And why is that?" The white haired girl's voice was patient, no hint of irritation in her voice.

Yang smiled. "Because I've grown a bit fond of you."

The former princess stared blankly at the blonde for a moment before bursting into laughter, though she quickly stopped after her ribs and sternum had protested at the action. "Ow…"

Yang reached over and wiped the tears from the corners of Weiss's eyes that had formed during her burst of laughter. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Once Weiss had regained her composure, she tilted her head towards the wandering sword. "What an honest answer." She shook her head slightly, a grin on her face. "Well, I've told you that I have no coin to pay you and no real destination or goal, but if you're honestly fine with that, you can accompany me. I look forward to traveling with you, Yang."

The slight smile that Yang had worn before turned into a full blown face-splitting grin. "And I as well, Weiss." She'd finally have a purpose, and better yet, a companion. How long had it been since she'd traveled in the company of another?

"By the way," Weiss's voice cut through Yang's thoughts, "how long will it take for me to heal? We won't be able to start our journey until that happens."

Right. Weiss's injuries. Yang had nearly forgotten, despite the fact that a near-mummy lay before her. "For everything to completely heal, it will take about 8 weeks in total." Her voice was soft and careful, as if the rest of Weiss's bones would break if she spoke too loudly.

Weiss's jaw went slack. 8 weeks?! She'd be stuck as a glorified vegetable for 8 weeks?! " _What?!"_ the former princess hissed.

Yang winced but her voice rang out clearly. "I can't move you from here. You injured your head severely and it would be dangerous to move you yet. Fortunately, I'm equipped enough to take care of you where we are. I have medical supplies and there's plenty of shelter and food around here. I'll keep you safe and make sure you heal properly."

The former princess stared at Yang blankly for a moment before sighing and looking up to the sky again. "Thanks."

It was going to be a long 8 weeks.

 **Whew! Another long-ish chapter from me. This story will be an adventure/romance slow burn, so don't expect much in the way of serious romance for a while (unless you've equipped your yuri goggles). Anyway, Yang is my favorite character from the series, and Weiss has really grown on me. Ice Queen used to be my least favorite among team RWBY, but she's slowly started to change and grow, which has really moved her up to #2 among my favorite characters from the show. On another note, if I pair up Weiss and Yang, I'm able to give Yang that much more ammo to make puns with! (Have I mentioned how much I love puns?) Also, the lack of Freezerburn on this site makes me sad, so I decided to actually do something about it and add to the pool instead of whining! My lovely beta, Lioness002, did not assist me this time, since I wanted to lighten her workload. Plus, I wanted to write something without outside assistance to see where my own abilities are at, so any mistakes or awkwardness is my own fault! Anyway, that's basically all from me this time! Until next time! –MakaS0ul :3**

 **Side note: I have another Freezerburn project that I'm about to start. It's a bit of an experimental idea so look forward to it!**


	2. It's Weiss to Learn More About You

**Hello, hello! It's your favorite getting-slightly-more-consistent author, MakaS0ul! More Freezerburn! Yay! In this chapter, we learn a little bit more about Weiss and Yang, which is always good. Also, a special someone makes a guest appearance this chapter! Ooo! Mysterious, I know! Anyway, there will be some notes at the bottom about locations mentioned in this chapter, so check those out afterwards. As always, I'll blather on more at the bottom, so for now, on with the story!**

As it turned out, Weiss hadn't been unconscious for a few hours like she had thought. According to her new traveling companion, she had been out for about 5 days. During that time, Yang had fashioned splints for her broken bones and made sure to find a large piece of wood to put Weiss on to keep her back level. Yang had also made sure to be careful with Weiss's neck and eye, since the girl had clearly hit and scratched them during her tumble down the embankment.

During the week that went by after Weiss's awakening, the days went by slowly. If the former princess wanted to do anything, she needed Yang to assist her, and while the blonde was more than willing to do so, Weiss missed her independence. She hadn't realized how much she would miss being able to eat on her own, much like one forgets how much they like to be able to breathe out of their nose when they have a cold. It sounded like an odd sentiment, and it was, but Weiss felt it all the same.

As for Yang, taking care of Weiss was something that helped keep her busy during the long days of recovery. When the white haired girl had been unconscious, Yang had spent most of her days fishing, mending tears in her possessions, changing Weiss's bandages, and waiting for the former princess to wake up. They were important activities, but most would agree that they were not very entertaining. At least now, Yang could actually talk to her companion to pass the time, or at least listen to the other girl talk; Yang didn't usually have much to say, so she let the other girl fill the air most of the time.

"Yang?" Weiss called out to the sell-sword who was a few feet away fishing at the river. The sun was in the middle of the sky, so Weiss knew that Yang was currently fishing for their lunch.

"What is it?" the blonde called back, turning slightly to look at the near-mummy.

"What did you do before you found me?" The former princess's voice was curious, yet at the same time, slightly cautious. It was as if she was concerned that she might have brought up a topic that was better left untouched.

It seemed that today, Weiss was in a curious mood, so Yang would likely be speaking a lot. The blonde paused for a moment before she began her story when she felt a tug on her line. Pulling back the stick that served as the rod and finding nothing, Yang tossed the line back into the stream with a slightly annoyed grunt.

"I was a soldier in the militia on Patch for two years. We never really did much to defend the island itself. Instead, we often went to assist nearby villages back on the mainland." Her tone was matter-of-fact, clearly unbothered by the question.

The former princess hummed in response before speaking up again. "Is that where you got those gauntlets from?"

Yang shook her head. "My uncle is a blacksmith. He made these for me, then insisted I give them a name. Something about how 'you've gotta name your weapon in order to bond with it and draw out its full potential.'" She chuckled at the memory.

Weiss felt herself grinning in response. "And? What's its name?"

"Ember Celica. The name just came to me when I saw them, but I'm not sure why." Yang chuckled again after she saw the quizzical but amused look Weiss gave her.

"Interesting," Weiss hummed. She knew of a few soldiers in the Atlesian military who had named their weapons. They each had special weapons like Yang; ones that Weiss had yet to see a duplicate of anywhere. In particular, she remembered two soldiers. One, a foot soldier, who happened to be a bumbling idiot, named Jaune Arc. He had the standard equipment for a soldier –a sword and a collapsible shield—but he named them in an attempt to stand out; Crocea Mors. The boy had been relentless in his attempts to impress the former princess, something which irritated her to no end.

The other soldier was a captain named Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was striking, with vibrant red hair and green eyes, not to mention her overall build reminded Weiss of Yang. Pyrrha wielded a round shield and a javelin that could also transform into a xiphos and a rifle. The javelin and shield together were named Miló and Akoúo̱. Pyrrha had been Weiss's personal guard on several occasions, so the two had spoken a number of times and got along well, something which Weiss was grateful for.

The former princess had kept the captain out of the loop on her plan to escape; the fewer people that knew about her plan, the better. Still, Weiss rather liked the woman and wished she could have said something to her. At this point though, the former princess doubted she would ever see the woman again.

"Yang?" Weiss called again.

While the white haired girl had been lost in her thoughts, Yang had turned her attention back to fishing, catching one in the process. Upon hearing her name, the blonde half turned once again to answer the former princess. "Yes?"

"If you were in the militia on Patch, how did you end up in a forest in Atlas?" It was a question that had been weighing on Weiss's mind for the past week since she had awakened. Most people did not wander through forests –especially not at night—for a simple change of pace.

Yang's face remained neutral. "Well, the militia disbanded since there was never any threats toward Patch. Since I no longer had work, I had to leave the island to find some. Patch is small, so what few jobs there were had been snatched up by the soldiers with families to feed. That was about a year ago."

Yang paused when she felt another tug on her line, quickly bringing it in when she spotted a fish on the end. As she began dressing her catch, she continued her story. "I traveled around Vale for a year looking for work, but Vale didn't have many jobs to suit my skills, so I decided to head to Atlas. I had considered joining the military here, but considering the strict tenure requirements, I decided to look for something different. When I arrived, I landed in Atlas's port of Hafen, but I couldn't find any work there either, so I decided to head to Atlas capital, Castle Town, and see if I could find work there. On my way there, I passed through the town of Eurlos and heard that the capital was having an influx of jobs for an expedition, but it would leave in two and a half days."

The blonde paused again to put the fish on their sticks and place them near the fire. "I had to hurry, so I took the road through Geister Forest to get to Ameren in the middle of the night that I found you. Along the way, I found some belongings in the middle of the road, probably where you were attacked, and then found the rest of the wagon a little further down. No bodies though, so you can still find the driver who left you behind."

At the last bit, Weiss snorted. She would find that damned driver if it was the last thing she did. Never before had she felt such a strong urge to wring someone's neck; Jaune hadn't even come close, despite his constant and pitiful attempts to impress the former princess. "So, when you found the wagon you decided to investigate?"

Yang nodded. "I found the embankment and saw you at the bottom of it."

The former princess gave the blonde a bewildered look. "Wait a moment. How did you manage to see me in the middle of the forest, down an embankment, and in the dead of night?"

The sell-sword shrugged. "Your hair and skin kind of glow in the moonlight. When I first saw you at the bottom, I thought you were a ghost," she said, chuckling a bit.

Weiss, despite herself, had to giggle as well. She knew her hair and skin were pale, but she didn't think she was _that_ pale. Perhaps she would tan a little out in this forest.

Seemingly sensing the end to the questions for the time being, Yang checked on the fish; the skin was just starting to brown, indicating that they would be done soon. While Yang was not a picky eater, she was beginning to tire of eating the same fish for every meal. It would be time to hunt for something else soon; perhaps some rabbit or even deer if she was lucky.

"Miss Schnee?"

"Weiss," the former princess cut in. Yang had kept forgetting that they were on equal footing, so addressing Weiss as "Miss Schnee" was a common problem. "Yang, we are equals on this trip. I'm no longer a princess and this will be quite a tiresome journey if you keep treating me as your superior. I haven't hired you, remember?"

"My apologies, Weiss. I will try to remember that from now on."

"Good. Now," Weiss's voice softened, "what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"You mentioned you had a sister, right?"

Weiss stiffened a bit, or at least as much as someone who was almost completely immobile could stiffen. "Yes," she said, her voice tight, "that's right."

"What was she like? I've always wanted a sister."

Weiss sighed; her sister had always been a sensitive topic for her. Constant comparisons between the two had put a damper on their relationship, at least from Weiss's perspective.

"Well, her name is Winter and she's 22, so four years older than myself, which meant that she had to look after me a lot when we were little. She was really kind, caring, and patient when we were children."

Weiss paused a moment, seemingly collecting her thoughts before continuing. "When she turned thirteen, our father started formally drilling her in her studies in order to inherit the throne. At that point, our relationship started to deteriorate; we saw each other far less often and when we did, she always kept the interactions short. She became cold, calculating, and ruthless towards others. She was never horrible to me, but watching her change was painful in its own right."

Yang simply nodded, listening as Weiss told her story. At one point, tears had formed at the corners of the white haired girl's eyes and the blonde reached over to brush them away.

Weiss was thankful for the gesture, smiling a bit at Yang before pressing on. "Do you remember when I mentioned that my father had always viewed me as an imperfection?"

The blonde nodded again; it was hard to forget something as heavy as that. Yang herself had a good relationship with her father, so she could scarcely imagine a parent treating their own child so horribly, and especially since a young age.

"When Winter began her formal studies to take over the throne, his comparisons between the two of us lessened. It was probably because Winter was completing her studies perfectly, so he had no reason to bother me. He was likely too busy taking pride in her accomplishments to bother worrying about my supposed failures."

Weiss laughed bitterly. "It's funny; even though I hated life in that damned castle and hated the change in Winter, I can't help but miss her. A part of me wants to return so I can see her again, but I know that it won't be worth it. She'll keep me at a distance like she did before I left."

Yang reached over and clasped Weiss's hand within hers, hoping the gesture would bring some kind of comfort to her downcast companion. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the former princess smiled slightly, gently squeezing Yang's calloused hand.

Weiss moved her eyes up towards the sky; the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon. It was likely around 1 PM; the sun's rays were pleasantly warm as they shined down on the forest.

"You know," Weiss mused, "my disappearance has likely caused quite the stir in the castle."

"Do you think it will be labeled as a kidnapping?" The blonde's voice was soft, but weary at the same time; she could only guess how short-lived their journey would be if that were the case.

"It won't be. My father wants to keep up appearances, so he will likely send out search parties discretely. No wanted posters, no public announcements, nothing. In other words, as long as the search party doesn't find us, we should be fine." Weiss's voice was firm; she knew her father well enough to judge his likely actions, so she was sure that she would still be able to travel around Atlas for the time being.

Weiss's thoughts drifted back to her sister. How would Winter react to her younger sister's disappearance? Surely she would be worried about her. Right? The former princess could only speculate. "I wonder what Winter's doing…" Weiss murmured.

* * *

Winter Schnee was currently making her way to her father's study at a pace that was barely less than a full on sprint. She had matters to discuss with the king that could not wait. Without bothering to knock, Winter burst into the king's study, instantly setting her eyes upon her father's form behind his large desk and moving past rows of bookshelves to stand in front of him.

King Schnee was a tall man, and much like his daughters, had a full head of close-cropped white hair. His features were hard, something which intimidated everyone around him, and the large golden crown adorned with various jewels that sat atop his head did nothing to ease his daunting presence. As usual, the elder Schnee was wrapped in a large, ice blue robe and his fingers were adorned with many jeweled rings; Winter had always considered the rings to be nothing more than a way to show off his wealth. Noticing his eldest daughter's presence, King Schnee looked up from his work with a glare.

"Winter," King Schnee rumbled, "you are to knock before entering a room. Have you forgotten your lessons?"

"Certainly not, Father, but this is a matter that is too important for formalities." Winter's voice was crisp as she regarded the man before her; her hands clasped behind her back in something akin to a military stance.

"And what matter is that?" The elder Schnee's voice was tired as he rubbed his temples; he had been attending to the affairs of the castle guards. Despite having a captain of the guards who would usually take care of the majority of guard affairs, King Schnee liked to attend to the finer details himself to ensure they were done right and up to his exacting standards.

"The matter of Weiss's disappearance. She has been missing for twelve days now. Are we going to sit idly by and do nothing?" There was a firmness to the younger Schnee's voice that indicated that she was on the edge of losing her temper. Despite this, Winter knew that taking her anger out on her father was an exercise that would be counterproductive to her interests, so she restrained herself.

King Schnee's icy eyes hardened. "Watch your tongue, Daughter, lest you say something you will regret."

Winter merely regarded him coolly. Over the years, she had tested the limits of her father's patience and knew that she had only begun to scratch the surface of it at this point, yet she knew that the shallower the scratch, the better her chances would be to receive the answers she wanted, thus, she obeyed.

"Before you burst into my study unannounced, I had been forming a search party to look for her, though it seems you have taken a keen interest in your sister's recovery. Am I to interpret this as a desire to lead the investigation yourself?" King Schnee's lips curled into an amused smirk; it reminded Winter of a snake.

"Yes, Father. I would like to lead the investigation," Winter said firmly. If it had taken her father this long to act on his youngest's disappearance, Winter could only imagine how little effort he would put into the search itself. The younger Schnee knew that her father had never liked her younger sister, so she knew he was only forming a search party to keep up appearances. Knowing this, Winter had realized that Weiss would have a higher chance of returning to the castle if Winter was in charge.

King Schnee rested his head against his fist, tilting his head slightly and smirking at his eldest daughter, the look of a predator that had found trapped prey resting on his face. "My dearest daughter, I find myself curious: why have you suddenly become so interested in your younger sister's whereabouts? Why, not even three weeks ago you acted as if she was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. Why should her disappearance matter to you now?"

Winter tensed slightly before clearing her throat. "Father, Weiss's disappearance is something that would bring shame upon our prestigious household, thus, I feel that it is my duty to find her and return her to the castle before any damage can be done."

A positively devilish smirk crossed King Schnee's lips. "Is that so? I'm pleased to hear that you hold our name so dear. Though I must confess, I fear that you've never shown much interest in the prestige of our name. Tell me, what brought on this sudden change of heart? Surely it was not simply a lie conceived out of personal concern for your younger sister?"

Winter could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise: her father was cornering her, though into what, she could not say. Regardless, she was in danger, so she quickly gave her reply. "I simply realized during the time of her disappearance that which really matters; the Schnee name. As you have said, Father, before we are ourselves, we are Schnees. I wish to conduct the search with the intent to preserve the dignity of the Schnee name, not with the desire to see my kin returned."

The elder Schnee sneered. "Truly? Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind going to search for her by yourself, would you? Surely finding your sister would not be too difficult a task for someone of your abilities."

There it was. Her father was making his move. Winter could feel her throat going dry as she attempted to stand her ground. "Well, Father, while I could find her myself, sending out myself and a search party would be far more efficient, wouldn't you agree?"

"Do enlighten me on how the squandering of valuable soldiers in the search for a petulant child will be more efficient." King Schnee's voice was just short of venomous.

"Father, surely you can understand that searching for someone with one person is a nigh impossible task. The more people there are that search for Weiss, the better our chances of finding her quickly. Do you not wish to expedite the process of returning your youngest daughter back before she does damage to the Schnee name?" Winter took a deep breath; if she couldn't get through to her father here, Weiss would never be returned to the castle. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly before she spoke. "After all, it wouldn't do for the people to find out that the second heir to the Schnee throne was missing, would it?"

The grin on King Schnee's face faltered, if ever so slightly, before he grunted and shoved the papers on his desk towards Winter. "Very well, Daughter," he hissed. "You have full authority on the search. I'm allowing you one unit of fifteen soldiers, including one captain. I'll leave it to your discretion to decide the participants." He waved his hand. "You are dismissed."

At this, Winter bowed, effectively hiding the smirk that occupied her face, before turning and swiftly exiting the room. She made her way along the large corridors of the castle, her pace considerably less brisk than before.

Winter was heading for the training grounds, as the guards would likely be out there at this time of day, practicing their swings and whatever else. She knew exactly which captain would head the soldiers; Pyrrha Nikos. The woman was not only incredible capable, she had also been Weiss's personal guard on any outings the youngest Schnee had gone on. If anyone would have motivation for finding Weiss, it would be Pyrrha.

Along the way, Winter stopped in front of Weiss's rooms, resting her hand gently against the wood of the large door before stepping away after a moment and continuing on to her destination.

The training grounds were a large, open grassy area with the stables off to the left side and the barracks off to the opposite. Currently, the soldiers were sparring with each other; their usual swords traded for wooden ones. At the head of a particularly intense match, Winter spotted the flaming haired captain and briskly made her way over.

"Captain Nikos," she boomed, her hands clasping behind her back once again.

Said captain immediately stopped her match and turned, kneeling and bowing deeply to the princess in front of her. "Your Highness. What may I help you with?"

Ever the polite one, Pyrrha held favor with many nobles due to her impeccable skill and manners. Still, she had refused becoming anyone's personal guard, though Winter suspected that if Weiss had asked, Pyrrha would have accepted immediately.

"I'm heading a search party for Weiss. I want you to be the captain of the guards for it." Winter's voice left no room for argument, though she knew that the redhead would have no objections regardless.

"Yes, Your Highness. It would be my honor," Pyrrha said, her voice strong and firm.

"Excellent. Now, I want you to select the other fourteen members. I will accept only the best."

"Fourteen, Your Highness? With all due respect, it may prove difficult to find the princess with only fifteen soldiers."

Winter's eyes hardened, though her irritation was directed not at Pyrrha, but rather her father. "I'm aware of that. Fifteen is all that I am allowed for the party, I'm afraid. We will discuss the details later. For now, gather the soldiers and be prepared to leave at dawn tomorrow."

Another deep bow from Pyrrha. "Yes, Your Highness."

At that, Winter turned on her heel and left the grounds.

Winter's heels clicked along the stone floors of the castle as she made her way back to her rooms. She reached the large door that was identical to Weiss's before pushing it open and stepping inside; leaning against it as she closed it behind her.

With a sigh, Winter pushed herself off the door and approached her nightstand. She reached for the wooden knob and pulled gently, revealing the contents; a small silver tiara –the one that had sat atop the off-center ponytail that her younger sister had always worn.

Winter clutched the item to her chest before collapsing onto her bed. "Mark my words," she whispered. "I will find you, my darling little sister, no matter the cost. You will return to me safe and sound, and this time, I'll _never_ let you go."

 **Whew! Another chapter done! This one focused on Winter a lot, which may bother a few of you, since this is a Freezerburn story, but it was extremely important! I had to include a segment within Atlas castle! It wouldn't make any sense to not show that a search was being conducted, since it's not like a princess can just waltz out of the castle without anyone caring. Plus, only focusing on Weiss and Yang would be boring at this point. They do a lot of sitting around and talking, since it's not like Weiss can go anywhere yet. I'll include more of their time at their camp, but it won't be my sole focus. In fact, I'll probably start to quickly move through their time there after the next chapter.**

 **At the end there, Winter probably sounded like a creep, and that's what I was going for! She's a bonafide Siscon! (That means "sister complex" for those of you that don't know!) She loves Weiss waaaay too much! She doesn't love her to the point of being sexual though. (I'm not going THAT far.) I just thought a sister complex would be a fun wrinkle to add to Winter's supposedly "perfect" personality. Is that weird? Eh… whatever!**

 **Anyway! Next chapter will have us seeing more of Weiss and Yang. Plus, I plan to include another Winter segment, though that will be the last of them for a while. Nevertheless, I hope you all look forward to it! Until next time! –MakaS0ul :3**

 **Notes:**

 **Atlas: Kingdom from where Weiss hails. Most powerful kingdom in Remnant (huge military force). Large forest (Geister (haunted in German)) at the southern end of the continent, separating the port city of Hafen and Atlas Castle.**

 **Hafen: The largest port city in Atlas and the second largest city overall. Hafen is responsible for 90% of Atlas's naval trade and is the most common entrance point for travelers. 5 days ride from Castle Town**

 **Eurlos: A small town that sits at the edge of Geister forest. Many travelers resupply there. Many inns available. 3 days ride from Castle Town.**

 **Atlas Capital (aka Castle Town): A bustling city sprawled around Atlas Castle. It is a hub of trade and home to the Atlesian military. It takes 1 full day to walk from one end of the city to the other. 5 days ride from Hafen.**

 **Ameren: A small city on the other side of the Geister forest closer to Castle Town. It is similar to Eurlos. It is 1 day and a half away from Castle Town.**

 **Geister Forest: A large forest that sits at the southern end of the continent. Filled with Grimm and dangerous no matter the time of day. Despite there being a road from Eurlos to Ameren through the middle, it is extremely easy to get lost. Countless people have lost their way and died inside.**


	3. Weiss-cold Rain

**Hello, hello! It's your –I'm gonna stop doing that intro now. Anyway, I'm back again this month with chapter 3! I'd like to thank everyone who has been following, favoriting, and reviewing this story! You guys are the best! This time, we start off with Winter's perspective before quickly moving back to Weiss and Yang's perspective. There's a lot of stuff that goes on this chapter, so I hope you're all ready! As always, I'll talk more at the bottom, so for now, enjoy!**

The sun was beginning to rise over Castle Town, bathing the city in a warm, golden light. In the streets, vendors were beginning to set up their stalls for the day, while the rest of the city remained asleep. At Atlas Castle, the servants were beginning to move about the impeccably clean halls.

Winter Schnee was making her way down one of these halls briskly; her destination being the front gate where she had arranged to meet Captain Nikos. The previous evening, Winter had completed her own preparations; gathering clothes for all weather types, preparing a few days' rations, readying her horse, and arming herself with her trusted sword.

With the gate and her accompanying soldiers in sight, Winter quickened her pace.

The soldiers, upon sight of the princess, dropped to a kneel and bowed deeply from there. Pyrrha kneeled at the front of the group and called out, "Your Highness, I have prepared the other soldiers as you ordered."

Winter stopped in front of Pyrrha and placed her hands behind her back in her usual militaristic stance. "You may rise, Captain," the white haired woman said, her voice firm.

Pyrrha rose while the other soldiers remained kneeling. "Your Highness, what are your plans for the search?"

Winter straightened before leveling her stern gaze on the red headed captain. "Firstly, I wish to discuss Weiss's expected condition. What do you think we can expect, Captain?"

Pyrrha cleared her throat. "I believe that Princess Weiss is alive, though I cannot say whether or not she is uninjured. If she made it to Geister Forest, the chances of her being injured have gone up substantially. I also expect her to still be on Atlas, since it appears that she took no money with her when she left, thus, she would be unable to afford the transportation to another kingdom."

The white haired woman nodded. "Then we agree. With that in mind, I believe we should go to Ameren first. There is a chance that she decided to make preparations before attempting to go through Geister Forest."

"And if she is not in Ameren?"

"Then we will move to Eurlos. By foot, that's the farthest she could go, unless a merchant with a wagon allowed her a ride."

For a moment, Pyrrha said nothing, but she then cleared her throat awkwardly, speaking softly. "Do you think there is any chance that the princess could be in Geister Forest?"

Winter visibly stiffened; she had always known there was a possibility that Weiss was lost in the largest forest in the kingdom, but a large part of her wanted to deny that possibility. She cleared her throat, albeit shakily, as she attempted to retain some semblance of her regality. "There is certainly a chance that she is, though I hope she is not. Still, I believe that if she is in neither Ameren nor Eurlos, we will have no choice but to check the forest."

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

Winter glanced over the group she would be traveling with for the first time since arriving at the gate. All of them looked to be fairly competent, minus one tall, scraggly blond. The princess's eyes narrowed at the utterly awkward looking soldier before her gaze turned accusingly toward the red haired captain. "Captain Nikos, who is that tall, blond soldier in the back? He hardly looks fit for this mission, let alone fit for the army itself."

Pyrrha grimaced at the positively icy tone before regaining her composure. "That would be Jaune Arc, Your Highness," the captain said without turning to face the subject of the conversation. "He comes from a long line of heroes, and despite his lack of combat ability, he had more enthusiasm than anyone for finding Princess Weiss. I believe the party would benefit from that enthusiasm."

Jaune took this opportunity to glance up at his captain and the princess, a gasp nearly escaping his throat at the sight of Weiss's near twin. Noticing Winter's less than friendly glare, the blond soldier grinned sheepishly, resisting the urge to rub the back of his neck.

A huff left Winter's mouth as she marched over to her white horse and mounted it. "Very well," she said, her voice gruff. "Let us leave without delay."

"Yes, Your Highness," came a resounding chorus of voices, accompanied by the sound of armor clinking as the soldiers rose.

Upon sight of Pyrrha and the other soldiers atop their own horses –the search party prioritized speed and mobility over the standard walking unit—Winter nodded to the captain and spurred her horse out past the gate, the others following suit.

* * *

Yang awoke to the sun beginning to peek over the horizon, the rays of light effectively making it impossible for the blonde to attempt to sleep longer. She rose with a stretch and glanced over at her white haired companion.

Gentle breaths moved past the former princess's lips as she continued her evidently undisturbed slumber. There was a ghost of a smile on the girl's face as she let out a contented sigh before resuming her gentle, even breathing.

Yang smiled at the sight, reaching over and gently brushing a particularly ticklish lock of ivory hair away from the girl's nose. The blonde then stood and gently lifted the slab of wood that was Weiss's makeshift bed before setting it back down in the shade of a tree.

Satisfied that the girl would not be awakened by the morning's light just yet, Yang opened her thickly woven burlap sack and retrieved 3 throwing knives. These particular knives were perfectly sharped; ready to be used at a moment's notice, and they would be; Yang was going to hunt for breakfast.

The blonde slid the knives into their sheaths on her leather belt and silently exited the camp.

The forest was quiet, the only sounds being the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustling of a tree branch. Yang wasn't listening for chirps or rustling, but for the subtle treading of a deer or rabbit. The blonde had been getting tired of eating nothing but fish, so she had decided that a change in the menu would be necessary. During her time by the river, she had seen various animals along the stream, and thus she knew that her desired meal would likely be somewhere nearby.

As luck would have it, after searching for several minutes, the sell-sword heard the sound of shifting gravel. Carefully but quickly, Yang skulked her way to a large tree and rested her back against it, peering carefully around to get a better look at her soon-to-be prey.

A doe was softly treading her way down to the stream, likely to get a drink and perhaps feast on some vegetation nearby, completely unaware of the danger lurking behind a tree.

Yang silently slid one of the throwing knives from her belt and held the blade between her thumb and pointer finger; she would get one shot at this. Anything less than a fatal strike would cause the deer to flee and the sell-sword would be without a meal and one of her blades.

Releasing one calming breath, the sell-sword whirled from her spot behind the tree, drawing her arm back and releasing the blade with a snap of her wrist.

Fortunately for Yang –and her slightly irritable companion—the blade struck true, hitting the doe in its left eye and causing it to crumple to the ground in a heap.

With a slight smile and a satisfied nod, the blonde retrieved the blade that had pierced all the way to the brain and wiped the weapon clean. Now came the slightly harder part: lugging the soon-to-be-meal back to camp. It wasn't so much that the doe was heavy, but that its size made it just slightly awkward to carry. Yang settled for carrying it piggy-back style, hefting the front legs over her shoulders and trudging back to camp.

The sun had risen slightly; Yang guessed that she had been hunting for almost half an hour. The forest had started to awaken, she noticed, as there were more chirps and rustling of branches than earlier. Despite being a forest notorious for danger, the blonde felt that there was a slightly peaceful ambiance to it.

After a few minutes of walking, the blonde finally returned to camp, greeted by the sight of her drowsy companion. "Good morning, Weiss," Yang said softly.

A yawn. "Good morning, Yang," Weiss mumbled back. She still seemed to be waking up, something which brought a small smile to Yang's face.

Not a moment later, Weiss's eyes lit up at the sight of the doe that Yang placed near the fire. "We're not having fish?" The ivory haired girl was practically drooling.

Yang chuckled. "I managed to get us some venison this time. If I prepare it properly, I might be able to make it last a few days."

A smile split Weiss's face as she happily congratulated her sell-sword companion on her job well done. The blonde was not the only one who had gotten tired of eating fish for every meal; anything else was a welcome change for the former princess.

Not wanting to keep her companion –or her stomach—waiting, Yang set to dressing her prize. While the meat was important, the blonde was especially careful with the pelt; she planned to make it into a new blanket or cloak for Weiss. Her nearly-mummified companion currently had a blanket, Yang's best one, but it had holes in it and wasn't nearly as warm as a deer pelt.

Weiss had stated many times that she didn't want to be treated specially, citing that she was no longer a princess and was not employing Yang, but the sell-sword felt that she owed it to the former princess to treat her well, thus, the blonde had to be covert about her special treatment. After all, it had been Weiss who had given Yang her purpose, and for that, the blonde felt inarticulately grateful, and that the former princess deserved to be pampered, or at least as much as one could be pampered in the middle of an incredibly dangerous forest. Truly, Yang would never be able to express how grateful she was to Weiss for allowing her to be her companion on her long journey.

The snapping of a branch caused Yang to pause her careful dressing. She glanced around the area, straining her ears for any other sounds; no animal made that much noise, so there were only two options: it was a Grimm, or even worse, it was a human. Grimm could be killed without any real repercussions, but humans were a trickier matter; there could be more than one, or there would be a problem of law enforcement if they were killed, or even worse, they could run off and reveal Weiss and Yang's location to a larger group.

Weiss, hearing the sound as well, looked around as much as she could before murmuring, "What was that?" Despite not being familiar with the outdoors and the dangers that occur outside, Weiss had enough sense to not make any more noise than necessary.

A shake of a mass of blonde hair was all Weiss got as Yang ran her fingers across the hilts of each of her throwing knives, confirming that they were in their spots and ready to be used at a moment's notice.

Another snap of a branch and Yang sank into a combat-ready stance, her legs apart and her fists up. Whatever happened, Weiss would not be getting hurt.

A group of four men, likely bandits, lazily stepped out of the tree line and into the edge of the camp. They were rather burly, minus the smallest one -who was actually rather scrawny- and clothed in a mix of various styles and colors, all of which were likely stolen.

The shortest one noticed Yang and grinned maliciously, sticking a rather bony finger at her and tilting his head towards the largest and burliest man of the group. "'Ey, Boss! Lookit what we got 'ere. A little girl, all by 'er lonesome lookin' like she's ready to fight us," he cackled, his voice cracking slightly. Yang guessed he was fifteen at the oldest.

The boss glanced at Yang, letting out a low wolf whistle. "A pretty thing! What're ya doin' all the way out 'ere in these dangerous woods 'lone, honey?" His grin was just as malicious as his other companions, who were more than likely nothing more than his lackeys.

Yang gave him no answer, and instead hardened her gaze, transmitting bloodlust that even the dimmest man could pick up on. No matter what the blonde could possibly say to the men, the encounter would likely end in bloodshed.

Another whistle from the boss, though this time, it was in amazement at the hostility that poured from Yang. Before he could address his newfound threat, the shortest lackey piped up again, thrusting his bony finger at the other figure lying on a slab of wood.

"'Nother one, Boss! What's wrong wit 'er? Looks like she's bein' swallowed 'live by them bandages o' 'ers." Another cackle escaped past his crooked teeth. Apparently, the entire situation was laughable to the kid who would likely be the first to go down. The irony was nearly enough to make Yang laugh.

Another one of the lackeys, a man with shaggy black hair, whistled this time. "'Nother pretty one! We got lucky, huh, Boss?"

Yang stiffened; they had all finally noticed Weiss, who had been doing her absolute best to remain unnoticed. The blonde stole a quick glance at her companion; the girl looked terrified –she was shaking as much as her injured body would allow and her eyes were wide, flitting from man to man rapidly—her fear likely stemming from the fact that she would be unable to defend herself if any of the men got close enough to attack her.

Slowly, Yang sidled her way towards Weiss until she stood between the former princess and the bandits. Weiss would not be harmed under _any_ circumstances.

The boss, finally looking over at Weiss, nodded approvingly. "She's just yer type, eh, Nox?"

The black haired bandit, Nox apparently, nodded ecstatically. "Can I 'ave 'er, Boss?"

The boss laughed uproariously. ""Course ya can, boy!"

Yang could feel her anger boil over. Her blood felt like it was on fire as she ground her teeth; these men would not be leaving in one piece, if alive at all. She moved her hands to her gauntlets, which had been in their collapsed bracelet form, and slid the plates back, hearing a click as they locked into place; for threatening Weiss with any sort of harm, they would be facing the full wrath of Yang Xiao Long and her Ember Celica.

"Weiss," Yang called out softly, her voice tight, as she turned her head slightly to look at the former princess, yet kept the bandits within her sight. Despite her anger, the blonde wanted to soothe and reassure her frightened companion.

"Yes?" the former princess whispered. A second later, Weiss gasped at the sight of Yang's normally lilac eyes burning with a bloody red color. The blonde seemed to have heat radiating off of her, almost as if she was made of fire.

"Don't worry, they won't harm you. I promise," Yang said with an intensity that could only be matched by the sun shining brightly overhead.

Weiss gulped and nodded, locking eyes briefly with Yang before the blonde turned back to the men. A small wave of relief had washed over the former princess at Yang's declaration, but a small part of her worried over the sell-sword's extreme personality change. It wasn't that Weiss thought that Yang would turn on her with that intensity, but rather that she worried about how easily something in the future could set the blonde off.

"What's goin' on? What're ya whisperin' 'bout? Ya tryin' ta make a secret plan or somethin'?" the boss bellowed out. "It ain't gonna work!"

Yang ignored the boss's words and charged at the smallest bandit, bringing her right fist up into his jaw for a swift uppercut.

The unfortunate bandit flew backwards until he crashed into a tree, sliding down as his head drooped. The other bandits' jaws went slack as they finally registered the attack on their companion who had been incapacitated by Yang's strike.

The boss growled, unsheathing his sword and pointing the tip towards Yang. "Kill this one, boys. We can 'ave fun wit tha other one later."

The bandit that hadn't spoken up charged at Yang with a shout, his sword raised high over his head.

Yang sidestepped, letting the sword slice through thin air before delivering a punch to his abdomen.

The bandit doubled over, gasping for breath before the sell-sword whirled around and delivered a swift kick to his temple. He spun with the impact and collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Nox, noticing his companion's defeat, sprinted towards Weiss, intent on getting a hostage to stop the belligerent blonde.

Yang noticed this and pulled her right arm back -as if she was readying a punch—until she heard a click. Signaled that her weapon was ready, Yang let her punch fly, aiming it at the back of Nox who was several feet away.

Nox had seen the blonde's movements out of the corner of his eye, but could not figure out for the life of him what she was doing. Seconds later, he felt an impact on his back that winded him instantly as he flew sideways.

The boss's jaw went slack as he watched his lackey fly through the air like an arrow; what the hell happened? He whirled on Yang, roaring, "What tha hell'd ya do, bitch?! What's that weapon o' yours?!"

Again, Yang said nothing as she pulled both fists back until she heard the accompanying clicks. She readied her stance once more and waited.

The boss growled again. "'S like magic or somethin'! I'll kill ya an' take it fer myself," he roared, charging at Yang much like his quiet lackey had.

This time, Yang opted for blocking the attack, taking the brunt of the strike with her gauntlets crossed above her head. Sparks flew upon impact as the boss vainly attempted to slice through Ember Celica.

The blonde squatted as the boss put more pressure on her weapon before launching herself upward, throwing the boss off balance. Yang began to launch blast after blast of dust from Ember Celica, each one hitting the boss with a loud grunt accompanying them.

Meanwhile, Weiss's jaw had not closed once since the fight began. She'd never seen a weapon like Yang's; firing blasts of dust out of her gauntlets like arrows. Even without her gauntlets, the blonde would have been dominating the fight, easily demonstrated by the two lackeys who went down first.

Not long into her musings, Weiss was snapped out of her thoughts by a particularly loud grunt from the boss.

Yang found herself in the same position from the beginning of her fight with the boss; her gauntlets crossed to block his vertical strike. The blonde ground her teeth slightly. Despite landing several brutal blows, the battered boss would not fall. Yang decided she would have to strike him in the head with a crushing blow, one that would be nearly impossible to recover from.

She released a breath and squatted again, tensing all the muscles in her legs before launching herself into the air. The boss lost his balance once more and Yang continued her ascent, flying several feet into the air before pulling her arm back. Ember Celica clicked again and Yang whirled through the air, gaining momentum through her spins before bringing her fist down onto the back of the boss's head with an audible crack and an explosion of dust.

The impact was so fierce, the boss's face dropped to the ground in an instant, making contact with the dirt so strongly, a large crater formed around him. Naturally, he did not rise.

Yang relaxed her stance with a breath and grasped at her gauntlets, returning Ember Celica back to its bracelet form. She observed her handiwork and judged that it would be safe for her to check on Weiss before depositing the men on the path through the forest.

The former princess was still gaping and shaking slightly when Yang approached her.

"Weiss?" the blonde called softly. "Are you alright?"

"Yang, that was... I don't…. how did you…?" Weiss stuttered, struggling to push any coherent thoughts out of her mouth. With a heavy sigh, the former princess gave up. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Are you alright?" From her position on the ground, the ivory haired girl attempted to inspect Yang for any wounds, though she highly doubted the brutish blonde had so much as a bug bite on her.

Yang checked herself over quickly, the slightest smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I'm fine as well. Thank you for your concern." The blonde walked over to the unconscious body of Nox, hoisting him, and a moment later, his quiet companion, over her shoulders. "I'll be back in a moment. I'm going to put them on the path. Someone looking for some money can turn them over to some guards," she called over her shoulder.

"Be careful," Weiss called back, though she almost laughed at her statement; after that little display, the former princess doubted the blonde would have any trouble with that.

As Yang trudged off, Weiss released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The brutish blonde's combat ability was nothing to take lightly; perhaps Weiss had made a wise decision in allowing Yang to accompany her.

She scoffed at her own thought. _Perhaps? More like "absolutely"!_ The former princess gauged that the blonde's abilities likely rivaled Pyrrha's own, which was nothing to laugh at.

A new thought broke into her head: she had once seen something like Yang's weapon before. Pyrrha Nikos's weapon, a rifle is what Weiss recalled the name to be, also launched dust blasts at enemies. Weiss had never been able to understand how it worked, thinking it was something like a legendary weapon of the gods or something akin to that, but apparently there was a rather human explanation; Yang's uncle had been the one to make her weapon; perhaps Pyrrha had also gotten her weapon from him. She would have to ask Yang later.

A few short moments later, Yang returned to collect the other bandits, once again hoisting them over her shoulders and trudging out of camp.

Having another short moment to herself, Weiss began to ponder her companion's attitude change from the beginning of the fight. The normally calm blonde had shifted into a bloodthirsty brawler in a matter of minutes. The reason for the change was beyond Weiss, but it wouldn't hurt to guess.

With a hum, Weiss listed out the possible options: One, Yang actually loved fighting, so she got really intensely focused. Two, Yang perceived the bandits as a threat to her, so she buckled down into a fight or die mindset. Three, the bandits had offended her with the comments about her looks, so she wanted to make them sorry for degrading her.

Weiss shook her head; none of her reasons or conclusions seemed quite right. There was something she was missing.

Before she could ponder further, Yang returned, walking back to the deer she had been skinning earlier. She sat down once more, crossing her legs and taking her knife out once more to continue her work.

After a moment of silence, Weiss cleared her throat. "Yang?" she called out, her voice quieter than usual.

"What is it, Weiss? Are you feeling alright? Did those bandits actually manage to hurt you?" Yang had turned around to face Weiss, her eyes wide with concern.

"What? Oh, no I'm fine. I just…" she trailed off, looking in the opposite direction of Yang.

Yang scooted a little closer, concern still present in her lilac eyes. "'I just'…?"

The former princess coughed slightly as a small blush made its way across her face. "I just… wanted to tell you that I think your combat ability is incredible. You fought better than any of the captains in the military. You're… amazing."

Yang's eyes widened larger than ever before; clearly, Weiss was unused to giving such honest and heartfelt compliments.

As if to reward Weiss's efforts, the largest smile the former princess had ever seen spread across Yang's face. The ivory haired girl could feel a smile making its way across her face in response.

"Thank you, Weiss. I'm happy to hear that," came the cheerful reply.

Yang returned to her work a moment later, intent on finishing the deer's preparations before noon.

The sun was high in the sky and the distinct calls of various birds could be heard echoing through the forest. A few white, fluffy clouds lazily floated across the sky, though in the distance, a large wave of dark storm clouds was rolling towards the two girls' camp; it would likely rain before dark.

Idle chatter had been filling the air between the girls, mostly consisting of Weiss musing about the various cloud shapes and Yang squinting to see the supposed image the former princess saw in them.

"Yang, will you teach me how to defend myself?" Weiss interjected suddenly.

Yang glanced at her briefly before turning her attention back to the deer; she had finished skinning it, placing the hide in the river to clean it, and was now preparing the meat for consumption. The fire she had started crackling in the background. "Didn't you learn anything at the castle?"

Weiss shook her head slightly. "No. My father thought it would be ' _unbecoming_ ' of someone of my status to get sweaty and fight. It was a rather laughable explanation." The former princess gave a heavy eye roll; she actually rather liked exercising, as she was always satisfied to know that her efforts would keep her healthy and strong.

Yang chuckled before looking over her shoulder. "It will depend on your recovery. If everything goes well, I'll train you."

"Wonderful! Thank you, Yang," came the cheerful reply. Evidently, learning to fight was a bigger deal than Weiss had let on.

"Should we move our camp? What if the bandits come back? What if they bring more people?" Weiss asked quietly after a moment.

Yang hummed in response, not looking up from the deer meat, which was now sizzling over the fire. "It doesn't matter."

"Why not? Wouldn't it be safer to change locations so we aren't found?" concern seeped into Weiss's voice.

"Unfortunately, we can't move far with you in that condition. Even if we did move, we would likely not find a better location for food and shelter than the one we are in now. Besides, even if they do return, I will get rid of them. There's no need to worry."

There was no hesitation in Yang's reply, so Weiss decided to believe her and settled for changing the subject. "After I recover, where shall we go?"

Another hum from Yang. "Ultimately, it is your decision, but I believe Pesca may be a good place to go."

"Isn't that one of the port cities?"

"Yes, on the southern side of Atlas. It's very famous for its seafood. The local delicacy is supposedly Mirow."

It was Weiss's turn to hum this time. "I've never eaten Mirow before… Very well, we shall go to Pesca once I've recovered."

With a smile, Yang pulled the deer meat away from the fire and began to tear it into smaller pieces. As per usual, Yang fed Weiss with same care as a mother and Weiss would become embarrassed about the whole event. The deer meat was a welcome change, as both women sighed in content as the meat hit their taste buds.

"It's nice to have something other than fish," Weiss said afterwards, a satisfied smile splitting her face.

Yang gave a nod as she gently rubbed circles on her toned stomach. She looked overhead, noticing that the clouds that had been rolling in earlier had finally arrived, and with them, large raindrops fell to the ground with an audible _plop._

In a rush, the blonde jumped up, intent on getting Weiss out of the rain before she became soaked. She hurried over to the immobile girl and began to lift the slab of wood she lay on before Weiss's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait! Could I… Could we…" she nearly whispered.

Yang strained her ears to hear over the increasing rainfall.

"Could you let me stay out here for a bit? The rain feels wonderful and this is the closest I will get to actually bathing for a while." Her voice was small, though Yang couldn't understand why she was so reserved about her request.

Yang tilted her head in confusion, attempting to comprehend the reasoning for the ivory haired girl to become shy.

Seemingly catching on, Weiss quickly followed with, "You'll have to dry me off afterwards and I don't wish to create extra work for you. It's silly, I know, but I can't help but feel that I cause nothing but trouble for you. That's why I'm hesitant to ask."

For the amount of time the exchange had taken, even if Yang said no, she would have had to dry Weiss off all the same. With a reassuring smile, she gently set the slab down, careful to not jostle Weiss.

With a grateful smile, Weiss closed her eyes then, letting the cool water hit her skin and dribble down her sides. Another sigh escaped her lips as she did her best to bask in her impromptu shower. She hadn't felt this truly clean since her escape from the castle.

Yang, for her part, followed Weiss's example, letting the rain patter against her and soak her hair and clothes. She had to admit, the water did feel wonderful. True, she had been able to bathe herself in the river, but the water was not exactly warm and she had to worry about leaving herself or Weiss vulnerable to attack if she stayed in the water too long. Thus, she had never been able to enjoy her time bathing.

In this moment though, neither of the two travelers had to worry about anything, instead, they were content to stay in silence as they let the rain cleanse them.

Eventually, the rain was no longer pleasantly cool, but rather ice cold, so Yang decided that their time out in the storm was over. With no resistance from her companion, the blonde lifted the slab and brought in underneath the cover of several trees.

Fortunately, their possessions had already been under cover, so Yang took out a dry blanket and strung it across the branches of the tree that Weiss was laying under. The blanket, acting as a makeshift roof, sheltered the former princess from the few drops of rain that escaped through the branches.

Yang quickly built a fire and set to work peeling the ice-cold clothes from the former princess's shivering form. Forcing down a blush that threatened to make its way across her face, the blonde delicately removed the soaked bandages and clothes.

Weiss was also fighting down a blush of her own, reminding herself sternly that Yang was only assisting her in what she could not do herself; that the blonde was only doing what she felt was necessary.

Coming to a silent agreement, the two did not make eye contact, with Yang focusing on removing Weiss's bandages and with Weiss staring judiciously up at her makeshift ceiling.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yang had finished removing Weiss's bandages and clothes. She reached into her bag for a spare cloak and several more bandages, along with something to dry Weiss.

The blonde quickly wiped the injured girl's body dry and applied the bandages at a speed that seemed nearly inhuman. She then pulled the cloak around Weiss to keep her warm for the time being before drying off the rest of the girl's body.

At this moment, Weiss was struck by how diligent and caring her companion had been throughout their entire time together. Never once had Yang complained, grumbled, or dragged her feet about anything involving Weiss. In a way, the former princess was reminded of the servants back at the castle, but this was something entirely different; nothing the servants had ever done had been filled with this much care and affection. For Weiss, who had grown up with little genuine care, this was something entirely new and –dare she say it—heartwarming. It was a little frightening.

When Yang brought the rag up to Weiss's face, the former princess nuzzled gently into the contact.

Lilac eyes went wide as the blonde brawler attempted to comprehend her companion's actions.

Ice-blue eyes met lilac as Weiss wordlessly pleaded for Yang to come closer.

The blonde obliged, leaning her face towards Weiss's cautiously.

Their foreheads met as Weiss's eyes fluttered shut. "Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you for everything. If it weren't for you, I would be dead. You've taken such good care of me and treated me with more genuine affection than I've ever received in my entire life, and for that, I can't ever thank you enough."

Yang let her own eyes flutter closed as she breathed back her own reply, "You don't have to thank me, Weiss. I'm doing this because I want to. You deserve to be treated this way and I can promise you that I will continue to treat you in the way that you should have been treated for all those years."

Weiss could feel tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you, Yang. Even though we have only known each other for two weeks, I can't help but feel that this was destined to happen. I'm…" she sniffled. "I'm so glad I met you."

Yang could feel tears pricking at her own eyes as she nodded slightly, rubbing their foreheads together in the process. "I'm glad I met you too, Weiss. I'm happy to journey across Remnant together with you."

Neither knew how long they stayed like that, with their eyes closed and their foreheads resting against each other, but neither cared. For once in both of their lives, they were completely at peace. As the sun set, Weiss leaned up to press a tender kiss to her companion's cheek, an action that the two would remember as a moment that changed their relationship forever.

 **Aw! No real kiss, but it's something, right? This chapter was a real doozy to write; a whopping 13 pages! The longest chapter I've ever written in my life! There was just so much that I wanted to include that the length ended up getting away from me. Oh well! Anyway, I hate writing fights because I'm never sure that what I'm picturing in my head is being described accurately through my words. I'm also hoping that the bandit speech wasn't too difficult to understand. I thought it would help to give them a more bandit-ish vibe. Let me know what you thought! Also, I hope I was able to convey the tenderness of that last scene. It was something of a starting point for their relationship to be more than just traveling companions, and more than anything, it was also meant to help Weiss realize that Yang really and truly cares about her, which is something she is not used to. Anyway, I'm gonna be shooting for monthly chapters of AJAR, so look forward to that! Until next time! –MakaS0ul**

 **Notes:**

 **Pesca (taken from the Spanish word for "fish"): A small port city situated southeast of Castle Town. It is a particular hotspot for fishermen, as a particularly rare type of fish (Mirow) can be found there. Due to this, some of the best seafood eateries can be found there.**


	4. Starting Things Off With a Yang

**Hello, hello! It's chapter 4! Woo! This one's a little on the later side of the month, but I stuck to my schedule! I'm so proud of myself! How are you all liking the story so far? Is there enough going on to make it interesting? Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you all! This time, Weiss and Yang finally get started on their journey! Yay! To those of you that have followed, favorited, and reviewed, a humongous thank-you! I'm happy to see that people are enjoying my little adventure story! Anyway, more blathering at the end of the chapter, so for now, on with the story!**

After the bandit intrusion, time had moved fairly swiftly at Weiss and Yang's camp. As per usual, their days had been filled with chatter and Yang continued to take care of Weiss. As weeks went by, Yang had begun to assist Weiss in rehabilitating, eventually culminating in the removal of all of Weiss's bandages and makeshift splints. Weiss had been thrilled to be able to walk again, though she needed Yang's help for any strenuous walking; doing nothing for weeks had essentially reduced Weiss's muscles to jelly, and it would take a while yet before her strength returned to normal.

Besides the bandits, there had been few problems to plague the two girls besides the occasional Grimm wandering near. Yang, for her part, had been able to handle them without resorting to using her Ember Celica, dispatching the Grimm as if they were nothing more than insects. Weiss had never felt safer, even when she had been in the castle surrounded by the strongest military force on Remnant.

Once Weiss had recovered enough to be able to walk for a few hours without pain, the two had set out for Pesca. Yang had suggested that they stop in Postres, a small town on the northeastern end of the forest, to resupply. Weiss had agreed, but before the two truly left their campsite, Yang had surprised her with the deer pelt from the day of the bandit intrusion; Yang had turned it into a cloak that would help to keep Weiss warm and dry far better than just her royal traveling clothes.

"Are you ready?" Yang asked, tossing three burlap sacks over her shoulder; one contained the blankets and such, another held tools, and the last held their food. The things were about the size of a boulder, but the blonde had hoisted them like they were the size of a pebble.

"I think so," Weiss said, taking one last sweeping look over the remains of their camp. Spotting nothing, the former princess nodded firmly, and the two set off.

Yang's time traveling hadn't been for nothing; the blonde was a skilled navigator, monitoring the sun's position in the sky to confirm their direction and timing. She had warned Weiss earlier that there was a high chance they would run into more Grimm than before as they moved into the densest part of the forest. The former princess had nodded gravely, an audible gulp betraying her apprehension.

Geister Forest, despite its rather deadly reputation, was a rather beautiful forest, lush with various fir trees and crisscrossed by various creeks and streams. At night, it was easy to see thousands of stars covering the sky, something which had captivated Weiss.

The two had left early in the morning, setting out not long after dawn in order to travel as far as possible in the daylight; there was no sense in tempting fate and exposing themselves to Grimm. Originally, Yang had planned to leave without eating breakfast, but the rather whale-like grumbles from Weiss's stomach had told her otherwise.

"Watch your step," Yang said, reaching for Weiss's hand as she stepped over a series of crevices.

The former princess took the blonde's hand and gingerly followed in her footsteps, watching her feet the entire time she did so. Weiss had never done such strenuous exercise as hike through the woods, and after the fifth time her foot had gotten caught on a stray branch, she had decided to pay extra attention to her footing.

After about two hours, Yang's soft voice broke through the comfortable silence. "Are you doing alright? Do you want to take a break?"

"I'm perfectly fine. Let's not waste time and keep going," Weiss huffed, though her huff was less indignant sounding, and rather more winded. Though her near-vegetable state had severely harmed her pride, the former princess was still far too proud to simply admit to her fatigue.

The former sell-sword eyed her skeptically before relenting, turning back to the path and continuing to clear the way for her companion. Yang sighed; it looked as if she would have to feign fatigue if she would ever get the ivory haired girl to stop before she collapsed.

"What kind of a place is Postres?" Weiss asked through heavy exhales.

Yang hummed, tilting her head slightly as she tried to recall the town. "It's a rather small town, not unlike Ameren or Eurlos. There are several inns and taverns where you can meet many different kinds of people." She paused, humming once more. "If I'm thinking of the right place, they have a rather large market on Wednesday mornings that sells many different types of desserts."

Weiss perked up at the mention of desserts, nearly having to wipe her mouth clean of drool on her sleeve. "Really? What day is it? When do you think we will arrive?"

"If I've kept track right, today should be Sunday. If we keep pace, we should reach Postres by Tuesday evening. We should have plenty of time to explore the market," the blonde said with a smile. It was nice to see her companion so lively.

"I wonder what kind of things they have there… Do you think they have raspberry tarts?" Weiss asked excitedly.

Yang chuckled. "Probably. If they are famous for a dessert market, I'd bet coin that they'd have tarts."

The former princess sighed dreamily, already picturing the tart in front of her. "What kinds of desserts do you like, Yang?" she asked suddenly.

"Hm… I like sweet bread drizzled with honey a lot. It costs little coin and it can be eaten with a lot of other things." Yang's stomach grumbled at the thought. She grinned a bit sheepishly. "Perhaps we should take a break and eat?"

Weiss's own stomach grumbled in response. "I think that's a good idea," Weiss said with a sheepish grin of her own.

The two found a clearing and laid out a blanket to sit on before they set their bags on top of it. Yang rummaged through one of her burlap sacks and retrieved several pieces of smoked deer and fish. Honestly, the deer and fish had become something like jerky by the time finished smoking them. Yang lacked anything to preserve the meat any other way, so she had constructed a smoker to save their food.

Weiss had been pleased to hear that they had a secure food source for at least a few days, and was especially pleased to hear that she would be able to enjoy the deer meat for a little while longer; the thought of eating nothing but fish for days on end once again made her grimace. Hopefully she would regain her taste for fish by the time they reached Pesca.

Yang handed Weiss her portion and the two dug in. Yang tore through her meat with little effort, her jaw and teeth tearing through the jerky as if it was wet paper. The former princess, on the other hand, struggled a bit more with her portion; the meat was tougher than anything she had eaten before. Each piece was torn through eventually though, leaving her a bit exhausted after each one.

"You doing alright, Weiss? You need me to feed you again?" Yang asked, a smirk resting on her face.

"Hush. Don't be a pest," Weiss huffed indignantly. In truth, she found Yang's comment amusing as well, but she wasn't about to give Yang the satisfaction of knowing that. "I'm simply unused to eating such things."

"You've probably never eaten such tough food in your life," the blonde mused. "What kind of food did you eat at the castle?"

Weiss paused her battle with the venison jerky. "It really depended on the day; sometimes we would have Atlesian cuisine, other times we would eat Mistralian food, and other days we would have Valian food." She stopped her recollection momentarily to take another bite of her food before resuming. "Usually, it would be a three course meal; appetizers, the main meal, and lastly dessert. We would eat at this gigantic table that could seat 30, and the whole thing would be covered with food. It piled up like a mountain and made it incredibly difficult to see anyone across from you."

Yang's eyes bulged; she could scarcely imagine so much food, let alone so much food eaten during one meal. "How did you have room for all that? And forgive me for asking this, but how are you not incredibly fat?"

Weiss chuckled. "I wonder the same thing. I've never eaten everything. Usually, I pick one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. Even the most overweight nobles are only able to eat an eighth of what is laid out." Another pause for another bite of jerky. Weiss's smile shifted to a grimace. "It had always seemed like a great waste to me. One day, I went to the kitchen to ask about what happened to the food we didn't eat. Do you know what they told me?" She looked to her blonde companion.

The brawler had a fairly good idea, but she shook her head anyway. It was probably something Weiss wanted to say herself. Yang's own smile had disappeared as well.

"They told me that it was disposed of, where it would be taken with the rest of the trash out to a furnace to burn. I could hardly believe my ears, and it looked as if the cooks felt the same way. I asked them if it would be possible to give it to those who were starving out on the streets of Castle Town, but they said that it had been on my father's orders to dispose of it in such a manner. In other words, they couldn't do anything about it. Just imagine it: countless people were starving on the streets just outside the castle grounds and none of the excess food goes to them. Absolutely none. "

Weiss let her head drop, clutching her meal tightly in front of her eyes.

Yang slid next to her ivory-haired companion and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She wasn't asking for Weiss to speak, but rather that she wanted her ailing companion to know she was there for support.

"For a while," Weiss ground out, "I ate more food than usual, trying to make less of it go to waste. I would exercise far more often and twice as hard as I had before, trying to compensate for the increased intake in food."

She let out a bitter laugh. "I knew it wouldn't really change anything, but I wanted to do something –anything! Anything to lessen the blatant waste of food." Weiss's head rose and she gave Yang a weak but grateful smile.

Yang returned the smile gently, nodding in response to the girl's efforts. She was happy to find that Weiss was incredibly thoughtful and generous. How she had managed to retain that kind nature in the harsh environment of the castle was beyond the blonde's imagination. She gave Weiss's shoulder another gentle squeeze; a signal to continue.

Weiss took a deep breath before plowing onward. "Neither my sister, nor my father noticed my efforts, and I decided to get a little bolder: I began to sneak into the kitchen and smuggle food out." The slightest smirk crossed the former princess's lips. "For a while, it worked rather well. I loaded up a horse with bags of food and rode out to the city, distributing food in various spots across town. Eventually, it became clear that I wouldn't be able to continue sneaking out after every meal every day, so I had to change tactics."

The former princess took another bite out of her jerky. "I began to ask the castle staff who lived outside the castle to smuggle food out to their families and some of the citizens near their homes. Many of them were hesitant, and why wouldn't they be? They were essentially risking their lives and their families to assist the young princess with her little rebellion." A self-deprecating smile rested on Weiss's face.

"I didn't pressure them; it would be their lives at risk, not my own. Eventually though, without any pushing from me, many decided to assist, and hardly any food went to waste after that. They were doing that right up until I left the castle."

A wistful smile ghosted Weiss's face. "I hope they are still doing it now. It would be a shame to let all that food go to waste again."

"I'm sure they are," Yang said firmly, startling Weiss out of her musings. "I don't think they would stop just because you're gone. They agreed to help you because they believed that what you were doing was right. I don't believe they would let that all go to waste."

Yang chuckled at her next thought. "It's something like a legacy that you left behind. They will probably want to honor you by keeping it going."

"Perhaps you're right," Weiss giggled. She'd never thought of it like that. It was a rather charming thought that left a warm feeling in her chest. The thought of doing at least one good thing while in the castle made her swell with pride.

The rest of the meal passed with light conversation filling in the gaps between bites. Yang finished well before Weiss and was content to sit and listen to the former princess recount a few bizarre tales from the various banquets she had been forced to sit through. Apparently, it was indeed possible to induce oneself into a food-coma, as one particularly greedy noble discovered the hard way. According to Weiss, he woke up three days later and promptly went on a diet. He was now one of the skinniest nobles Weiss had ever seen.

Yang rose from her spot on the blanket, stretching her arms once she stood. "Shall we get going?"

Weiss rose as well, gathering up the blanket and placing it back in its sack. "Yes. I'd like to make some more progress before it gets too late."

With a nod from Yang, the two set off once more.

* * *

It was Tuesday evening when Postres began to rise up on the horizon. The sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the landscape.

Spotting the various buildings dotting the edge of her sightline, Weiss's eyes lit up. "Yang, look! It's Postres! We're finally here, right when you said we would be," the former princess exclaimed, tugging on her blonde companion's arm excitedly.

The brawler chuckled, relenting to her companion's insistent tugging and letting herself be dragged hurriedly towards the town.

"We should probably find an inn first, right?" Weiss queried. Her head swiveled back and forth rapidly, attempting to take in all the sights the small town had to offer.

Yang nodded. She checked her belt for her coin purse, opening the mouth of the bag to make sure they had enough coin to pay for a meal and an inn. Upon seeing far less lien than she would have liked, the blonde concluded that their meal would not be an extravagant one and neither would their inn.

"Do you know any good places to eat here? I've never seen so many taverns in one place before!" Ice blue eyes gleamed with excitement. Castle Town had several taverns, but they were all fairly spread apart according to the maps in the castle, and because of her father's strict policy on leaving the castle grounds, Weiss had never had the chance to explore much of Castle Town. Her escapades to feed the hungry had always been hurried, so even then, she was more focused on completing her mission, rather than taking in the sights.

"Not really. Most of what I know about Atlas comes from what I've heard when I was traveling. If it's a recommendation, there would be no one better to ask than a local. They'll probably know the best and cheapest spots," Yang said, looking around for a suitable person to ask.

The two arrived at what was likely the town square, judging by the large fountain that rested in the center. Even as the sun was setting, people were still bustling through, and many merchants were just beginning to pack up their things to head back home.

Across the square, a stout woman was cleaning up what looked to be a flower stand. In her hand was a broom that was sweeping various fallen petals into a neat pile at her feet. Yang spotted the woman and gestured for Weiss to follow.

"Excuse me," the blonde called out, "are you a local? We would like to ask you about lodging and food around here."

The woman turned, coming face-to-face with a well-armored blonde and a rather well-dressed petite girl. For a moment, the woman said nothing, simply taking in the rather odd pair. She shook her head, quickly gathering her bearings and addressing the two. "That I am. You're looking for a place to eat and stay?"

Yang nodded. "That's right. Do you have any recommendations?"

The woman hummed, resting a hand on her chin in thought. "If you've got a decent amount of coin, _The Kindler_ is a good place to go to get a bite to eat, and _Stonewall Inn_ is one of the nicest inns in town. Although," the woman paused briefly, "if you've little coin, a good place to go is _The Creaking Wagon Inn_. They offer free lunch and dinner to those who stay at least one night there. It's not the best place, but the owner is a rather kind young widow. She'll treat you right."

"Which way is _The Creaking Wagon Inn_?" the brawler inquired, relieved to find that they would get a few meals from their stay; they would have more money for the dessert market that way.

"It's just down the road that way," the woman said, gesturing to a road just west of their spot in the square. "It'll be on the left side. It's got a big sign in the shape of a wagon hanging just above the door. You'll be hard-pressed to miss it."

"Thank you for your help," Yang said, handing the woman a few lien for her troubles.

With a nod and a wave, Weiss and Yang headed down the road to the inn.

Weiss chattered happily along the way, remarking about how nice the woman was. According to her, it was rare to have someone assist you without being paid up front in Castle Town.

After a few moments, their destination came into view, the rather large sign standing out amongst the nondescript buildings surrounding it.

Yang reached for the rusted doorknob, pushing the wooden door open with a creak and gesturing for Weiss to enter first.

With a thank-you, the former princess did just that, glancing around the entrance and making room for her companion to enter after her.

The inn was clearly old, the wear making itself known in the creaks of the floorboards and the holes in the walls that dotted the interior. In front of them was a staircase that led to the upper rooms, lit by candles that gave off a warm light, and off to the right-hand side was a small desk, likely for the owner to greet the patrons and to keep record of things. The owner though, was not at the desk.

For a moment, the two simply stood there, silently asking each other what they should do, until they heard a rather boisterous shout coming from a room off to the left. Yang gestured for Weiss to follow her lead as they attempted to find the source of the noise.

They were greeted with a surprisingly large dining area. Several people were sitting at various tables throughout the room, dining and drinking large mugs of ale that likely came from the bar off to the right side of the room. A few waitresses made their way in between the tables, attending to the customers who called for them with drunken shouts.

One waitress in particular, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair noticed the pair of newcomers, waving to them jovially. "Welcome, you two! Are you looking for the proprietress?"

"Yes we are," Weiss shouted back in an effort to be heard over the roar of the patrons. "We're looking to rent a room."

The waitress nodded. "Gotcha! I'll go get her! Wait just a moment, please," she called, turning on her heel and making her way into the kitchen behind the bar.

Not a moment later, a young woman with black hair appeared from the kitchen, spotting Weiss and Yang and quickly making her way over to them. She looked to be no older than 25. "You two are looking for rooms?" she said, her voice soft.

"Yes. We just got into town and were told that this was a good place to stay," Weiss said, following after the owner as she walked over to the desk at the entrance.

"I'm happy to hear that this place has been recommended. Oh, my name is Eliza, and I'm the owner of this inn. And you two are?" Eliza reached the desk, pulling out a rather large logbook from within it. She trailed a finger down each page as she scanned them.

"I'm Weiss, and this is my companion, Yang. It's a pleasure to meet you, Eliza," Weiss said, gesturing to her blonde companion, who nodded in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two as well," the proprietress said, smiling warmly. "How long will you two be staying?"

Weiss looked to Yang. So far, the brawler had been giving all the suggestions for destinations; to Weiss, that also meant that the blonde was in charge of how long they were staying.

Yang spoke quietly. "We will probably stay for 3 days. Do you have any rooms with two beds available?" Yang was fairly sure that Weiss would not want to share a bed with her.

Eliza flipped through the pages until a slight frown settled on her features. "I'm afraid not. Tuesday nights are always busy, considering that the dessert market is tomorrow morning. I have a few rooms with one bed if that's acceptable."

Yang checked Weiss's reaction, though the former princess looked truly unfazed. "Do any of them have a fireplace?" If the blonde was going to sleep on the floor, she at least wanted to be warm.

Another glance at the logbook. "Yes, we do. It's a corner room, so it's pretty spacious. Would you like to rent it out?"

"Yes, thank you," said Yang, smiling slightly.

With the room paid for, Eliza led them up to the third floor, taking them down a long hallway dimly lit with a few sparsely placed candles. She escorted them inside, telling them about the free meals and mentioning that hot water was available if they asked for it. Weiss practically squealed with joy; it had been far too long since she had taken a warm bath and she would not miss the chance to have it.

With a slight bow, Eliza left to return to her duties in the kitchen, assuring the two that the water would be brought up after their meal.

After setting down their things, Yang turned to Weiss. "Shall we go eat?"

The former princess's stomach grumbled in response. With a slight blush dusting her cheeks, Weiss nodded. "Yes, let's."

 **Whew! Another chapter done! How was it? I wanted to illustrate that Weiss is almost the complete opposite of her father in every way, and that she wanted nothing more than to help people during her time in the castle. On a side note, I'm working on another Freezerburn story, and I just got an idea for another one as well. FlashYang chapter 2 is also in the works. Do You Know Who I Am readers should check my profile for any updates about that. Well… I think that's about it for now. I hope you all enjoyed chapter 4! Until next time~!**

 **Notes:**

 **Postres (taken from the Spanish word for "dessert"): A small town on the northeastern end of Geister Forest. For the most part, it's a rather unremarkable spot, except for the special dessert market that it holds on Wednesday mornings. People from all across the world visit Postres to try the rare and exotic desserts it has to offer.**


	5. Trusting Inn You

**Hello hello! It's chapter 5! This one is definitely on the later side, but I stuck to my schedule! I was gonna start working on this chapter a lot sooner, but I ended up screwing up my neck and it made me too dizzy to actually work on anything. After copious amounts of ice, heat, and icy hot (whoever made that stuff's a genius), I fixed my neck and was able to finish this chapter. Once again, a huge thank-you to all who are following, favoriting, and reviewing! You guys are the absolute best! This time around, our traveling heroines spend some time at the inn and are finally able to enjoy a nice, hot bath! As usual, more at the bottom, so for now, on with the chapter!**

The room was somewhat spacious, considering the overall size of the building, it was likely a little less than half the size of the dining area downstairs. Off to the right was a rather large fireplace, though the structure of the mantle itself was somewhat unremarkable; a simple plank of wood. Still, it would do its job, so there was no problem.

Against the back wall in the middle was a rather sizeable bed, likely able to fit two reasonably-sized people comfortably. The sheets were a dull grey, but they looked to be made of a rather thick material, so there would likely be no problems in the winter. To the left in the corner was a battered chest of drawers, riddled with various chips gained through many years of use. All in all, the room was spacious and equipped for most of the occupants' needs.

Weiss and Yang unpacked their things, making sure to place their spare clothes and blankets into the chest of drawers, before heading down to the dining hall.

The room was filled to the brim with patrons, though Yang used her imposing height to spot a table through a particularly large group. She motioned for Weiss to follow her as she weaved her way through the boisterous customers, making sure to clear enough of a path for the ivory-haired girl to trail after her.

They arrived at a round wooden table, the table looking far more battered than the drawers in their room had. The blonde procured two stocky wooden chairs and sat Weiss down before seating herself across from her.

The cheerful brunette waitress from earlier arrived a moment later, introducing herself as Amber, handing them a simple menu, and indicating that they should just shout if they needed her. With a nod from Weiss, she left to attend to the other occupants.

Weiss scanned the menu, but was entirely baffled as to what most of the items were. She'd never eaten anything less than the finest meals at the castle, and she doubted that the fish and deer meat would actually constitute as a meal in most places. She peeked at Yang over the top of her menu, hoping the blonde would give her some sort of hint on what she should eat.

Yang felt a pair of eyes on her and was surprised to find that Weiss was attempting to discreetly watch her. "Is something wrong?" she asked, giving the former princess a small lopsided grin.

The former princess squeaked; a bit embarrassed at being caught. "Well… I don't really know what most of these are…" she mumbled, using the menu to cover her face as best she could.

The blonde chuckled, tugging gently at the top of the menu. When Weiss stopped attempting to hide, she explained. "Whatever you get is gonna have meat and some vegetables. You can't really go wrong."

Still unsatisfied, Weiss huffed, gesturing to the menu. "Well then, which one would you pick?"

Yang looked over the menu once more, and once finished, set it back on the table. "I'm gonna go with the pork roast and potatoes." After a moment, a large grin made its way across her face. "I hope the portions are big. I really feel like _pigging_ out."

Weiss's jaw went slack as she stared at her companion with a mixture of disbelief and horror. "Did… you just—you didn't… Was that a _pun_?" The fact that Yang's grin only grew at the accusation told Weiss all she needed to know. With a groan, the former princess pinched the bridge of her nose, willing her exasperation away.

"Very well, I'll have the same," she muttered.

With the large grin still on her face, Yang called for Amber, who took their orders promptly and returned moments later with two mugs of ale.

"It's the house specialty! Enjoy," she chirped before skipping away once more.

Yang took one brief look at the mug before downing it in one gulp. She released a satisfied sigh and wiped a bit of foam from her upper lip.

Weiss on the other hand, eyed the drink apprehensively. At the castle, she'd drank only the finest wine, and anything less would have never even made it through the gates. Ale was something she was unaccustomed to, but she had often associated it with the drunkards that littered the streets during her brief outings.

Sensing her companion's hesitation, Yang tapped Weiss's mug. "It's not poisoned, you know. This your first time drinking ale?" When Weiss nodded, Yang continued. "Thought so. It's kinda bitter, but it won't kill you. Just give it a try."

At Yang's urgings, Weiss tentatively raised the mug to her face and took a sip. The golden liquid was bitter, as Yang had warned, but most of the wine the former princess drank at the castle wasn't particularly sweet either. With the slightest hint of a grimace, Weiss downed her mug, setting it gently on the table once she had finished.

"How was it?" Yang asked, raising her mug for a refill.

Weiss grabbed a small cloth from the table and dabbed at her lips. "It wasn't the worst thing I've ever tasted," she relented.

After Amber had refilled both of their mugs, Yang took another sip, grinning all the while. "What was the worst thing you've ever tasted? I'm having a hard time picturing anything low-class making its way to the dining table of King Schnee. 'Only the best' and all that."

Weiss snorted. "You'd be surprised. Have you ever eaten insects before?"

The brawler grimaced. "Only when food's scarce, and even then I'd rather not."

"Yes, well my father heard that in Vacuo, some of the royalty enjoy certain ants as a delicacy. They are bright red and are rather spicy."

At Yang's growing look of disgust, Weiss continued with a rueful grin. "They serve them legs and all. Some of the ants are still alive by the time they reach the table. I had to resist the urge to flee from the table when I saw one crawl its way across my plate."

Yang shuddered a bit. "I don't think I'll ever understand why nobles do what they do. I only eat bugs out of necessity, but they go and look for them because some noble somewhere eats them like dessert," Yang muttered, taking another large sip of her drink.

Moments later, Amber arrived with their meal and refilled their mugs once more.

Platter-sized plates were piled high with the roast and a mountain of steaming-hot potatoes. The roast itself was seasoned with various herbs and spices, looking to be a bit peppery.

Yang wasted no time grabbing her knife and fork and tearing into the meat as if it were her last meal.

Weiss on the other hand, placed her cloth on her lap before grabbing her utensils and gingerly cutting into the meat.

Yang hummed with content after each bite, savoring the juiciness of the roast.

Weiss took a careful bite and was pleased to discover that the roast was as good as much of what was served in the castle. She tore into the meat with the same fervor as her blonde companion.

There was not much talking during the meal, as both girls were too preoccupied by their food to make conversation, but neither really noticed. It had been far too long since either had had such a large meal, and they were determined to make the most of it.

Yang finished first, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her stomach contentedly. Her plate was entirely empty, without even so much as a crumb left behind.

Weiss finished a little bit later, though she had a bit left over. Despite how good the food was, she simply couldn't eat any more.

After thanking Amber for the meal, the two headed back towards their room, spotting Eliza at the front desk.

"Excuse me," Weiss called.

Eliza looked up from the ledger and smiled. "Would you two like that water now?"

"Yes, please," Weiss said, smiling. She was finally going to have a warm bath. If there was one thing she missed from her days at the castle, it was the daily hot baths.

Eliza nodded. "Please head up to your rooms. I'll be up in a moment with the tub and water."

"Thank you~!" The former princess practically skipped up the stairs, with a laughing Yang trailing just behind her.

"It's been far too long since I've had a hot bath! I can't wait," Weiss practically squealed, finally arriving at their room.

Yang nodded, smiling all the while as she placed a few logs into the fireplace. "I'm looking forward to it. It'll be nice to really get clean." Sitting on the mantle was some flint and steel, perfect for lighting the fire. In the brawler's experienced hands, it took mere seconds for her to create a spark.

Moments later, Eliza appeared, along with Amber and another girl, likely from the kitchen judging by her messy clothing, carrying a large wooden tub. There was no doubt it would be able to fit at least three people inside.

The three women set to work, hanging a large pot over the now-roaring fire and filling it with water. Fortunately, the nearby rooms had no occupants, so they were able to make use of the ones with fireplaces to heat more of the water.

After what seemed like an eternity to Weiss, the tub was filled to the brim with steaming hot water. With a polite bow, the three women left, leaving Weiss and Yang to bathe in peace.

Weiss was quick to rid herself of her dress and underclothes, practically jumping into her awaiting paradise. As she sunk in, she let out a contented sigh, feeling all her tension wash away.

Yang however, hovered at the edge of the tub, eyeing the water apprehensively, or rather, eyeing her companion apprehensively. In all their time together, neither had seen the other fully undressed, and Yang had ensured that consciously. She knew that part of it was because she was incredibly conscious of her companion after their exchange in the rain, but also knew that there was another, much greater reason. While she was quite proud of her physique and assets, the main reason she was self-conscious around the former princess was because of the scars that covered her body.

While the militia hadn't seen too much combat, there had been combat nonetheless and it had been brutal. The battles always led to at least one person dying, while several others were severely injured. Yang herself usually never took that much damage –she had been the most skilled fighter among them—but the little cuts here and there began to add up.

The blonde reached a hand around to her back and gingerly traced a line along her left hip. There had been one battle in particular that had left her with a massive scar across her back, going from her right shoulder down to her left hip.

During a battle on the shore of the mainland of Vale, the boat the militia had been disembarking from was attacked by a group of extremists who were anti-Faunus. Yang's group was in chaos as they scrambled to rally and fight back. At one point, a comrade of Yang's was about to be killed, but Yang stepped in the way, taking the attack across her back and leaving her with the large scar she's had to this day.

While she knew she had no reason to be ashamed of her scars, a part of her felt inferior to Weiss. The former princess was absolutely flawless, minus the scar that now trailed across her left eye. At the same time, Weiss had been raised in a castle, made to look perfect for every second of her day, and also raised to admire beauty and banish imperfection. A small part of Yang -a part she deeply resented—worried that Weiss would be disgusted with her and reject her.

A moment later, Yang was broken out of her reverie by Weiss's confused voice. "Yang? What are you standing there for? Hurry and get in before the water gets cold."

The blonde hesitated a moment. "Ah… that's alright. I'll wait here and… uh… stand guard."

The former princess fixed her fully-clothed companion with a quizzical look, raising an eyebrow. "Stand guard? Who are we keeping watch for?"

Yang cleared her throat. "Uh… voyeurs?"

At this, Weiss scoffed, waving away the notion. "Nonsense. There's no need. Please, get in before the water cools. You haven't enjoyed a hot bath in a long while either."

When Yang made no move to remove her armor or clothes, Weiss began to wonder if there was something else bothering her companion.

In the castle, Weiss had had servants to assist her with everything; bathing, dressing, and sometimes even walking, depending on the dresses and shoes she was expected to wear. To Weiss, bathing in the presence of another was second nature, but perhaps Yang felt differently.

"Are you… uncomfortable bathing in the presence of another? I can turn around if you would like," Weiss said softly, hoping she could ease her companion's worries.

Lilac eyes widened. "No, it's not that… Rather… I…" The blonde trailed off, glancing off to the side, looking anywhere but into the icy eyes of her companion.

Intrigued, Weiss leaned forward, perching her head atop the edge of the tub. "'You'…?" she urged softly.

Yang sighed, pushing her bangs back. She looked into the pleading eyes of the former princess, recalling how much the girl had confessed during their time together. Weiss had shared a lot of her less-than-pleasant past, despite how ashamed and hurt she was by it. If nothing else, Yang felt she should do the same.

Steeling herself, she let out a breath. "I'm… a bit conscious of my scars." When Weiss didn't say anything, merely nodding for Yang to continue, the blonde plowed on. "You are absolutely beautiful, flawless even, and in comparison, I feel like a creature of Grimm. I feel like my scars might disgust you, and that is the last thing I want."

Weiss blinked. She'd been called beautiful on countless occasions by various nobles and suitors who were simply after her status, but they had only served to make her skin crawl. Coming from Yang, the compliments felt genuine, heartfelt, and they left Weiss blushing furiously.

She shook her head; she should be focusing on Yang's feelings, not her own.

Weiss cleared her throat. "Thank you for sharing that with me. It must have taken a lot of courage."

She looked squarely into wavering lilac eyes, ensuring that Yang would hear her next words. "Yang, you have done so much for me over these past few months, more than anyone has ever done for me in the past. You have shown so much compassion and care, and it was _entirely_ genuine. No one who has ever served me has made me feel as secure and cared-for as you have."

Weiss reached out and took the blonde's calloused hand, squeezing it gently, mirroring what Yang had done so many times before. " _Please_ , believe me when I say that I will _never_ be disgusted by you. There is nothing on Remnant that could make me feel anything close to disgust."

She reached out and took Yang's other hand, squeezing both gently once more. "Please join me. You deserve to enjoy this warm water as much as I do."

Yang felt her eyes begin to brim with tears. She nodded and slowly began to remove her armor. Each piece that was removed felt like a weight being lifted from her mind.

Once she was bare however, her insecurities came rushing back and a new wave of apprehension washed over her.

Weiss on the other hand, merely smiled softly. She slowly reached her hand out to Yang, urging the other girl to take it and enter the warm water.

Seeing the kind smile of her companion, Yang swallowed and grasped Weiss's hand, entering the bath slowly.

The water felt like heaven, though she was unable to relax completely.

"Are those scars all from different battles you've been in?" Weiss asked softly, her eyes trailing over every mark on her companion's body.

Yang flinched before nodding slightly. "They are. The worst one is on my back."

The former princess paused. "May I see it?" She wasn't demanding, and knew full-well that Yang may say no, but she hoped that Yang would feel comfortable enough to let her see it.

Yang bit her lip lightly, and after a long moment, nodded and turned around. She slowly moved her mane of blonde hair over her shoulder and rose from the water.

Weiss stared in awe at the massive scar on the brawler's back; it completely dwarfed all the other marks on her body. It seemed to have been a rather deep cut, judging by how prominent the mark was, and the former princess could scarcely imagine just how much pain it had caused her companion.

Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out and touched the tip of the scar at the blonde's shoulder.

Yang flinched instantly, wanting nothing more than to cover her back, but at the same time, she trusted Weiss, and thus, she swallowed and released a shaky breath.

Receiving silent permission, Weiss gingerly traced the mark all the way down to her companion's hip. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist, startling the latter.

"Yang, you are beautiful. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. These scars are proof of how hard you have fought. They are proof of how skilled of a fighter you are and how hard you fight for the things and people that you care about."

She squeezed Yang's waist tightly. "Please, take pride in yourself. Never doubt that you are beautiful."

Yang felt her eyes well with tears as she gripped Weiss's warm hands. In an instant, Weiss had banished her insecurities that had plagued her for so long. Before she had joined the militia, she was confident in her looks, and had never been shy or insecure in front of other women, but after going into battle, she began to feel her self-confidence drain away.

For a while, she had forgotten about her worries, as she hadn't needed to be undressed around women for a long while, but after saving Weiss, her insecurities had returned worse than ever before.

Now though, Weiss's soft voice and kind words had banished her fears as if they had never existed in the first place. It would take some time to be as confident as she had been before, but she had no doubt that as she spent time with Weiss, she would soon be as she once was.

Once again, Yang felt entirely indebted to Weiss. Nothing she could ever do would ever compare to what the former princess had done for her since their meeting several weeks ago. Still, she'd be damned if she wouldn't try. To Yang, there was no one more important on Remnant than the girl embracing her, and she would ensure that the girl always knew it.

"Thank you," Yang whispered, her voice thick. "Truly, I can never thank you enough."

Weiss shook her head, her bangs tickling the blonde's back. "There is nothing to thank me for. Just remember that you are beautiful. That is all I want you to remember."

Eventually, the two separated and sank into the water, content to enjoy the surprisingly-still-warm oasis for a bit longer.

* * *

"Well, I think the water has gotten rather cold, don't you?" Weiss said, shivering slightly.

Yang had always had a naturally high body temperature, and to a small extent, she had been able to channel it into things around her. Heating water though, was beyond her capabilities.

"I'm fine, but if you think so, we can finish up," Yang said, rising.

Eliza had been kind enough to lend the two travelers some towels to dry off with, and so the two did just that, carefully wiping themselves dry in front of the roaring fire.

Yang glanced out the window; the moon had risen high into the sky, and the town was dark, with nary a torchlight lit anywhere.

"Shall we go to sleep?" she asked softly, opening the chest of drawers and retrieving some of her lighter clothes.

Weiss yawned, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "That sounds like an excellent idea," she said, taking out her own sleeping attire that Yang had kindly provided for her. As she had expected of the clothes that her blonde companion had given her, they were enormous on her, making her look like a small child.

After dressing, Weiss quickly climbed into the bed, adjusting herself underneath the blankets.

Yang on the other hand, began to rummage through the bags, pulling out her thick blanket she often slept atop of and setting it on the floor near the fire. Before she could set down her pillow to sleep, Weiss's curious voice stopped her efforts.

"What are you doing? You aren't planning on sleeping on the floor, are you?" The former princess fixed Yang with a rather serious look, promising severe consequences if the answer was not to her liking.

Yang had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "Um… yes?" she queried rather than said.

Weiss shot up from beneath the blankets, marched over to Yang, and promptly began dragging her towards the bed. "Oh no you don't. You _will_ be sleeping in the bed with me. I'll not have you sleeping on the floor." Her tone was chilling enough to freeze blood solid.

Yang gulped, weakly resisting her companion's insistent tugging. "No, it's fine. I don't mind sleeping on the floor. You probably wanna enjoy the bed without me taking up more than half of it."

Weiss whirled around, jabbing a finger at the blonde's nose. "What is the point of coming to an inn if I am the only one to enjoy its comforts? We might as well have slept in the forest if this was your plan the entire time."

She grabbed Yang's wrist with a vice-like grip and resumed her efforts of dragging the much larger and stronger girl to her rightful place on _her_ half of the bed. "You _will_ be sleeping in this bed with me. I will not hear anything arguing otherwise. Are we clear?"

Sensing that she was not going to win, Yang sighed and took her place in the bed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Excellent," Weiss said, slipping in beside her companion. "Tomorrow, we are going to enjoy that dessert market to the fullest!"

Yang chuckled and the two bid each other goodnight before they slipped off into a restful slumber.

 **Whew! Chapter 5 is finally complete! Guys, the bath scene wasn't supposed to be that long or that emotionally intensive. What the hell happened? The chapter started out so nice and chill and then it turned into an episode of a soap opera. It just got a-** _ **wave**_ **from me I guess. (You see what I did there? Water? Waves? Get it? I make no apologies.) For real though, I was planning to have them go to the market this chapter, but the bath scene got so long that I just sort of ran out of room. (I try for around 9 pages per chapter.) What did you guys think? Was it too much? Hopefully you all enjoyed it and next time we will** _ **actually**_ **see them go to the market! Until next time~!**


	6. Don't Be Tarty

**Hello hello! It's chapter six! This is the furthest I've ever gotten with a story, and I'm super excited. Part of me was worried I would lose enthusiasm or inspiration, but I haven't! I'm gonna continue to work hard! Once again, a huge thank-you to everyone following, favoriting, and reviewing! Thank you to my guest reviewers who I can't respond to directly! Your reviews are greatly appreciated! In this chapter, Weiss and Yang finally go to the dessert market! Yay! Also, Winter makes another appearance! How exciting! As always, more at the bottom, so for now, on with the chapter!**

Yang awoke to the sensation of her nose being tickled. She kept her eyes closed as she reached up to brush away the source of the itch. After a moment though, the ticklish feeling came back.

She slowly cracked her eyes open, squinting at the soft light that was emanating from the fireplace. She let her eyes adjust a bit before she noticed that her front was unusually warm.

Her eyes trailed down to a head of ivory-colored hair; the girl it belonged to was wrapped in Yang's arms and had curled herself snugly into the brawler's embrace.

Finally, Yang's train of thought caught up with her eyes; at some point during the night, Weiss had gotten cold, so she searched for warmth, finding Yang's higher than average body temperature and practically burrowing into it. In response, the blonde had wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and held her close.

The former princess was still asleep, breathing softly and tickling Yang's collarbone with each gentle exhale. She appeared to be rather content.

While Yang would have been more than willing to stay in that position for the rest of the day, she remembered that today was the day that the dessert market would be open.

Knowing Weiss wouldn't want to miss their reason for traveling to Postres in the first place, she slowly and gently retracted her arms. When Weiss didn't move, she rose from the bed, stretching once both feet were on the floor.

Yang quietly padded over to the chest of drawers, extracting a dark shirt and a pair of equally dark pants. She considered putting on her armor then, but decided it would be better to wake Weiss first so the girl wouldn't feel rushed.

* * *

Weiss was awakened by some gentle nudging from a pair of calloused hands.

Not wanting to wake up just yet, Weiss grumbled quietly and attempted to pull the blankets over her head. She willed whoever was attempting to rouse her to leave her be for at least a little bit longer.

The hands were insistent though, nudging her a little more firmly now.

When she made no move to rise, she heard a soft voice whisper out, "Weiss? It's time to wake up."

Weiss merely grunted at the voice, indicating that to her, it was _not_ time to awaken.

The voice tried again. "Weiss? You wouldn't want to miss the dessert market, would you?"

Weiss's eyes shot open; that's right, today was the dessert market. She and Yang had traveled from Geister Forest to Postres in order to visit the unique market.

Hastily, she threw the blankets off, her arm nearly smacking Yang in the face in the process. "Today is the day?" she asked excitedly.

Yang chuckled. "It is. If you don't want to miss it, you better get dressed."

Weiss shot up from the bed, quickly stretching and dashing over to the dresser and extracting her only item of clothing; the white dress she had worn on the day of her escape from the castle. Yang had been kind enough to mend the item for her, so it was wearable until the two could afford more clothes for Weiss.

While Weiss got dressed, Yang took the time to pull on her plate armor. While cities were generally safe from outright attacks, there was still a chance that someone would notice Weiss's above-average attire and attempt to rob her. She wanted to be ready in case such a thing were to happen.

With the last strap tightened, she turned back around to find Weiss ready to go. "Shall we head out?" she asked, grinning.

Weiss nodded enthusiastically, pulling the door open and holding it open for Yang to follow after her.

The two nodded to Eliza at the front desk before stepping out onto the already-bustling street. Carts monopolized the majority of the road, and whatever space remained was for the pedestrians, who were moving nearly as fast as the carts.

Yang guided Weiss over to the stream of people heading for the town square, making sure to keep the smaller girl away from the carts. "Stick close to me, alright? We wouldn't want you to get lost," Yang said quietly.

Weiss nodded and followed after Yang, who was creating a path for her to follow after.

Yang's height certainly made her imposing to the average townsfolk, but her armor set her apart from the rest. While she wasn't as heavily armored as a knight would be, she was certainly more protected than the average citizen. In a way, the armor was a deterrent to those with less-than-good intentions.

At the same time, the armor made Weiss feel safe and secure. To her, Yang seemed like she was invincible in it, though she knew that the blonde certainly was not.

As the two approached the square, the sounds of excited voices and shouts reached their ears. Amidst the general roar of the crowd, shouts from the various vendors marketing their good could be heard. In a way, the fact that they were able to be heard above the crowd noise was impressive to Weiss.

Once they reached the square, the crowd spread out as the people headed off in their own directions to attend to their business. Countless stalls surrounded the fountain, each one more colorful than the last. The whole scene gave off a festival-like feeling.

Taking in the scene, Weiss beamed. She had never seen anything like this during her time in the castle. Her father had forbade her from mingling with the common folk, saying that such a thing was beneath her, much like everything else on Remnant.

Yang chuckled and gently tugged on Weiss's arm, bringing the former princess's mind back to the present. "Wanna find that raspberry tart?"

Weiss nodded quickly, taking Yang's hand and leading the taller girl through the crowds.

The air was filled with sweet, delicious scents that left their stomachs rumbling; they hadn't had breakfast after all.

They passed by a stand selling apples covered in caramel, which Weiss made a mental note to remember. Next to that was a stand selling various cakes, each one more elaborate than the last. One of them stood out among the rest; it appeared to be a whopping 6 layers and was covered in vanilla frosting and various fresh berries.

Yang let out a whistle. "That cake looks like it belongs at a wedding. Who'd be able to eat that on their own?"

Weiss laughed. "Even the cakes at the castle weren't that large, and we were serving 100 people!"

Yang raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "Well, we better keep moving. Wouldn't want to be _tarty_ in buying them, would we?"

Weiss whirled around, gaping at her grinning companion. "Was that another pun?"

"Maybe~!" Yang hummed, grinning all the while.

"I can't believe this. You like puns? Have you no sense of humor?" Weiss asked, almost desperate to hear Yang deny it.

To her horror, Yang nodded, confirming her fears. "I love 'em," Yang laughed. "You better get used to them or learn to love 'em too. You're gonna be hearing them a lot."

Weiss groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Were you always like this? I remember you being a lot quieter when we first met."

Yang chuckled, taking Weiss's hand once more and continuing their search. "I didn't talk to people much after my time in the militia. And when I first met you, I wasn't really sure how I should interact with a former princess."

She glanced back at Weiss. "I didn't want to say the wrong thing and make you mad. Now that I know you better, I can be myself. I don't have to worry anymore."

Weiss smiled warmly. "I'm happy that you're comfortable around me. I feel the same way. You're the only one I can be myself around."

In Weiss's case, she'd had to act like a princess at all times. As a child, she could be herself around Winter, but once Winter began her lessons, Weiss lost her chance.

Upon leaving the castle and meeting Yang, her chance had returned, and she was now simply "Weiss Schnee" rather than "Princess Weiss Schnee."

The two exchanged a smile before Yang's eyes caught sight of a familiar dessert. "I think I found the prize we were looking for."

Weiss's head turned so fast, Yang was surprised the girl hadn't snapped it.

Ice-blue eyes zeroed in on a tart adorned with a raspberry sitting on display. The vendor smiled warmly, noticing their potential customer.

Dragging Yang behind her, Weiss made a beeline for the stand. "I'd like a raspberry tart, please," she said, barely keeping herself from drooling. Though she was no longer a princess, drooling was still an uncouth thing to do.

The vendor nodded. "Coming right up." They gingerly picked up a raspberry tart from a tray and placed it inside a small paper bag.

Weiss grabbed the bag just as carefully, not wanting to destroy her prize before she got to enjoy it.

"That'll be 7 lien, please," the vendor said, still smiling.

Yang nodded and fished out 7 lien from the coin pouch on her belt. She handed it to the vendor, who took it with a thank-you, before the two turned and left.

Weiss turned to smile at Yang. "Thank you! Now we just have to find your sweet bread."

Yang shook her head. "That's alright. I don't need anything."

Hearing this, Weiss scowled, fixing her eyes pointedly on Yang. "You're going to have some bread whether you like it or not. This is not up for discussion."

Yang grinned sheepishly, bringing her hands up in a placating fashion. "Alright, alright."

Satisfied, Weiss nodded before grabbing Yang's hand and leading her once more through the crowd.

After a few moments of searching, they found Yang's treat and Weiss insisted they buy two loaves. Knowing she couldn't win, Yang relented and did as the former princess wanted. After tasting her purchase, she was hardly going to complain.

Near the fountain, Yang spotted some chairs and a table to sit at, which she led the former princess towards.

Once the two had sat down, Weiss quickly but carefully pulled out the tart and took a bite. She released a hum of contentment before she took another bite. Silently, she urged Yang to dig into her own treat.

After a moment of eating in relative silence, Yang spoke up. "Let's see if we can find you some traveling clothes. You can't stay in that dress forever."

Weiss dabbed her mouth, glancing down at the dress in question. Though it had served her well up to this point, it was certainly not made for hiking through forests. "You're right. Since we are going to be heading towards a mountain range in the east, I should probably get something warm."

Yang nodded. "We should also find you some boots. I'm surprised those shoes have lasted as long as they have."

"I'm just as surprised as you are. These were hardly made for exploration," Weiss said, raising an eyebrow.

After a moment, Weiss resumed eating, taking smile bites and savoring them each time. They likely wouldn't be able to have treats again any time soon. At least not until they arrived in Pesca.

While Yang was chewing on her bread absentmindedly, she failed to notice Weiss breaking off a piece of tart and leaning across the table.

Weiss cleared her throat, garnering Yang's attention, who fixed her with a curious look.

"Try this. It's delicious."

"Are you sure? You really wanted to eat that and I'd hate to take any of it away," the blonde asked, surprise written across her face.

Weiss nodded firmly. "You paid for it, so you might as well try a bite."

After another moment, Yang leaned forward and ate the piece out of Weiss's hand, leaving the latter blushing slightly. The blonde licked her lips. "You're right, that is good. Thanks," she said, smiling.

Weiss swallowed, finding the action to be a bit more difficult than usual. "I-It's no problem. You paid for it after all."

Yang tore a piece of her own treat off and offered it to Weiss.

Weiss blinked, debating whether to mirror Yang's earlier actions or to simply take it from the blonde's hand. Yang, ever patient with her, simply smiled and waited for Weiss to make up her mind.

She shook her head, attempting to will away her childish thoughts. Slowly, she leaned over and delicately grabbed the piece between her teeth, forcing a blush down as she did so.

Little did she know as she licked her lips, Yang was having her own troubles forcing down a blush of her own. Her mouth felt rather dry for some reason.

"How…" she coughed when her voice came out higher pitched than she had intended. "How was it?"

Weiss hummed. "Delicious! We can share the other one later."

Yang nodded, returning her attention back to her pastry.

After a while, the two finished eating and set off to find clothes for Weiss.

* * *

"Captain Nikos!" Winter Schnee boomed, effectively garnering the attention of the search party. Currently, the party was in Ameren on a lead about Weiss's potential whereabouts. "Give me a status report."

Though the search had endured for around two months, the party had not gotten far. Several times, they had combed an area for days to find nothing, and other times, people gave them false leads in the pursuit of a reward. The search party had deemed it necessary to follow any and all leads in case one of them happened to be truthful. Altogether, it made the search fruitless until today.

Pyrrha bowed slightly. "Yes, Your Highness." She cleared her throat. "We have managed to locate the last person known to have seen a girl matching Princess Weiss's description."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "And? Where might they be?"

Pyrrha turned to face one of the soldiers in the back. "Please bring him here."

The soldier nodded before coaxing a tall man with slicked-back brown hair towards Pyrrha.

The man in question sneered at the two women before him, but in a flash, he put on a rather sleazy smile. Neither Pyrrha nor Winter missed the change though. "Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Cardin Winchester, a humble carriage driver. What may I do for you on this lovely day?"

"I've heard that you may know where Princess Weiss Schnee is. Is this true?" Winter said, her tone indicating she had no patience for games.

Cardin shrugged. "That depends. How much coin do you have?"

Pyrrha balled her hands into fists, willing her anger down. To her, there was nothing worse than taking advantage of someone's desperation. Cardin's type made her skin crawl.

Winter though, had no interest in humoring Cardin. With one swift step, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down so he was eye-level with her. "I asked you a question," she whispered venomously. "Where. Is. Weiss?"

Cardin gulped. "Look, I gave her a ride on my wagon. We were heading for Eurlos when my carriage was attacked by Beowolves. I ran down the road and she ran into the forest. That was the last I saw of her."

Winter tightened her grip on Cardin's collar. "You had best not be lying, Mr. Winchester, lest you anger me." When he shook his head, she released her grip ever so slightly. "After the attack, what did you do?"

"I went to Eurlos and restocked my supplies; bought myself a new wagon too. I didn't see her at all during the two weeks I was there. After that, I resumed my business of taking people through Geister Forest. She never showed up in Ameren either." Cardin was struggling to free himself from Winter's grip, though the girl had no intention of letting go.

"Is there anything else we should know?" Pyrrha asked, her tone and smile polite, though her blood was boiling.

For a moment, Cardin said nothing as he wracked his brain. "Um… A few weeks ago, I picked up some bandits who were tied up on the side of the path. They were pretty beat up, but one of them was muttering something about a white-haired mummy and a crazy blonde monster. Sounded like crazy talk to me, but he did say something about white hair. That's all I've got."

Winter paused. "And where are those men now?"

"I dumped 'em off for a reward in the jail in Ameren."

Winter released Cardin's collar, allowing him to collapse onto the ground. "Captain Nikos, we will be speaking with those bandits. Let's get moving," she said, mounting her horse.

"Yes, Your Highness." Pyrrha turned to Cardin, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Winchester." Cardin shivered.

She and the other soldiers mounted their horses and the party raced off, leaving a dumbfounded Cardin sitting in its wake.

* * *

The search party arrived at the jail moments later. Unsurprisingly, the place was rather small; not much crime happened in a place where Grimm were close.

Winter and Pyrrha dismounted, while the other soldiers remained on standby.

Upon entering, the man in charge quickly rose from his seat, recognizing the Princess of Atlas. "Your Highness! To what do I owe the honor of your presence?" He bowed deeply.

Winter placed her hands behind her back, assuming a military stance. "I'm here to interview some bandits that were recently brought in."

The man straightened up, grabbed his keys, and walked towards a large wooden door. "Certainly. Right this way, Your Highness."

Upon unlocking the door, the man led the way down past a row of cells. The majority were empty, but the four furthest down held one occupant each.

The four bandits, who had been muttering quieted upon seeing the three approaching figures.

"These are the four, Your Highness. I will leave you to your interrogation. Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me." With a bow, the jailer turned and left.

Winter and Pyrrha straightened up. Each man was gauged, and Winter determined that the scrawniest one would likely talk. "You there," she said, gesturing to the smallest bandit, "Tell me how you ended up here."

The smallest one shivered under her powerful gaze. "Yer Highness, we were goin' through tha forest 'nd we found a camp. Thar was this giant blonde girl and a white haired girl who looked like she was bein' eaten 'live by 'er bandages."

Winter felt her pulse quicken. There was a chance they had seen Weiss, and she would seize that chance for all she was worth. "And then what happened? Can you tell me more about the girls?"

"We were gonna rob 'em, but tha blonde got in tha way. I don't remember nothin' after that," he said quietly.

Winter gritted her teeth. "Then what about the rest of you?" She fixed her gaze on the one with black hair. "What can you tell me?"

He gulped. "My name's Nox, Yer Highness. We only saw tha blonde one at first, but then we saw tha white haired girl. She was my type, so I asked tha boss if I could 'ave 'er, an' he said yeah."

Winter sucked in a breath. If the injured girl was indeed Weiss, she was disgusted to think the cretins before her had even _considered_ doing something to her darling younger sister.

He took a deep, shaky breath. "When I said that, tha blonde girl got really mad. She was real protective of tha girl with tha bandages. She 'ad a weird weapon too. It was like a pair o' gauntlets or somethin'."

This time, it was Pyrrha who spoke up. "Can you tell us more about the gauntlets?"

Nox nodded. "She pulled part o' 'em back and they kinda –I dunno—'clicked' or somethin'. When tha fight broke out, I went ta grab tha injured girl as a hostage, and tha blonde pulled 'er arm back like she was gonna punch. When she did, I heard a boom an' then it felt like I was gettin' hit in the back by a cannonball or somethin'. She wasn' even close ta me an' I got hit."

Pyrrha hummed. The weapon sounded a lot like how her rifle operated. How it exactly worked was beyond her, but the eccentric blacksmith she had received it from had explained it enough that she knew how to operate it. On occasion, she would have to visit him to get more "bullets," as he called them.

She knew that his abilities as a smith were far beyond anything she had ever seen before. Perhaps he was responsible for the weapon the blonde had.

Sensing Pyrrha was done asking questions for the time being, Winter cleared her throat. "Do you remember where their camp was?"

Nox thought for a moment before nodding. "I think so, Yer Highness."

Winter nodded. "Very well. You will be coming with us to show us the location. If you prove useful, we might set you free."

Nox grinned toothily. "Yes, Yer Highness. I'd be real grateful if ya did that fer me."

" _Only_ if you prove useful. Is that clear?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, Yer Highness," Nox said, distinctly more seriously.

Pyrrha called for the jailer and explained their plan to him, to which he agreed immediately.

He quickly released Nox, making sure to shackle his hands. After confirming Nox would not be breaking free of his restraints, the jailer bid the party farewell with a bow.

By finding Cardin and Nox, Winter had managed to secure a potential lead for finding Weiss. Though many others had led them astray, this lead seemed far more concrete, and Winter would hold on to that with everything she had.

In but a few hours, she would be upon the spot where Weiss was potentially last seen. If nothing else, the blonde with her was keeping her safe, and for that, she was grateful. If the injured girl from their tales was indeed Weiss, that meant her precious younger sister was alive.

She spurred her horse on with that hope.

 **Another chapter completed! Yay! I'm throwing in more romantic/fluff stuff in now as the two become closer. They're still a long way from getting together though. Writing for Winter is way more fun than it should be. I'm not sure what it is, but I like writing crafty villains and near-villain type people. Am I weird for that? Eh. Next chapter, we will see some more stuff with Winter's group and then move back into Weiss and Yang's adventure. Look forward to it! Until next time~!**


	7. You Won't Schneek That Past Me

**Hello hello! It's chapter seven! I barely managed to make my deadline! School has started up, so it'll take me a little while to get used to my average workload. Fear not! I'll make sure to stick to my schedule, since I made it with school in mind. (Two weeks for each chapter gives me some wiggle room in case I get really busy.) Again, I'd like to give a humongous thank-you to everyone who is following, favoriting, and reviewing! Lots of love for my guest reviewers too! I love you all! Winter and Pyrrha follow Nox's lead to the camp site! What do they find? You'll just have to find out! Yang and Weiss head back from a fulfilling day at the market! Woo! As always, there's more at the bottom, so for now, on with the story!**

Nox had been all too eager to exit the cell, so Winter opted to have him walk ahead of the group as a way of channeling that enthusiasm, a rope wrapped around his hands all the while; it reminded her of walking a dog. After leaving the town, the search party rode along the path for a few hours, occasionally stopping to give Nox a rest.

During one of their breaks, Nox shuffled towards Winter and Pyrrha, who were conversing amongst themselves. He cleared his throat, bowing as they turned to face him.

"Yer Highness, we aren't far from tha camp. It'll prolly be half an hour," he said, mustering his best smile. To him, guiding the princess was about as good of an opportunity to be let out of jail as he was going to get. He wasn't about to waste that chance, so he had decided to be on his absolute best behavior.

Winter nodded, fixing the young bandit with an imposing stare. She was aware of his simple thoughts; he wasn't exactly hiding them. Politeness and all that wouldn't help him if his information proved to be useless or false; if that was the case, she would not hesitate to recommend he be assigned hard labor for his punishment.

"What landmarks should we be searching for?" Pyrrha asked quietly. The search party's exchange with the bandits back at the jail had turned her stomach, leaving her with little desire to interact with those who attempted to cause harm to someone, especially someone who could be Princess Weiss. Still, outright ignoring their source of information would be unwise, so she buried her misgivings for the time being.

"Thar's a big slope off ta tha side o' tha road. We gotta go down it an' tha site'll be close by," Nox said, maintaining his toothy grin.

"Earlier you mentioned that a 'giant blonde girl' was with the white-haired girl, correct?" Winter rose from her seat on a tree stump, dusting herself off as she did so.

Nox nodded. "Thas right."

"Did she seem like she was holding the white-haired girl against her will?" The princess's voice held a trace of venom in it, promising pain to the blonde brute that may dare hurt her precious little sister.

The bandit thought for a moment, furrowing his brow as if thinking was something that brought him pain, before he shook his head. "I think tha white-haired girl was bein' guarded. Ya know, like tha blonde was a servant or somethin' like that. Looked like she cared 'bout tha white-haired girl lots."

Winter's own brow furrowed. If the blonde was indeed keeping her safe for Weiss's benefit, rather than because she was holding her unjustly, Winter could relax at least somewhat; Weiss's life wouldn't be in immediate danger with a guard of some kind.

Pyrrha, upon hearing Nox confirm once more that the blonde girl was not out to harm the youngest princess, let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Princess Weiss was the only noble that Pyrrha actually enjoyed being around. She was smart, hardworking, and surprisingly kind. It wasn't often that a noble was friendly to those of lower status, and it was even rarer for a Schnee to be kind; it had been about four generations since there had been a Schnee monarch with a good reputation. Considering all that, Pyrrha had opted to be the youngest princess's personal guard whenever the girl left the relative safety of the palace.

Pyrrha sighed. She had thought that Princess Weiss had more faith in her, so why was it that the youngest Schnee had left her out of her plan to flee the castle? If she had asked Pyrrha to accompany her, the captain would have done so in a heartbeat.

Winter's sharp voice cut through Pyrrha's musings. "How long do you estimate the two women were there? Is it possible they could have left at this point?"

Nox furrowed his brow once more. "Um… Looked like they'd been there a while. Tha white-haired girl was fully covered in bandages an' all."

After a brief pause, Nox raised his pointer finger. "She was covered in 'em, so I betcha they haven't moved!" He crossed his arms, looking rather proud of himself, though Winter and Pyrrha couldn't imagine why.

Winter nodded curtly, turning to face the rest of the party who were milling about. "Back into your saddles! We are leaving now," she bellowed, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Pyrrha rose from her spot on her own stump and dusted herself off in the same fashion Winter had. She escorted the still-bound Nox to the elder Schnee's horse, handing the eldest princess the rope connected to him.

As soon as all the members of the search party had mounted their horses, Winter ordered Nox to resume his guidance, spurring her horse forward as he began to jog.

As her horse trotted along, thoughts of a severely-injured Weiss crept up from the darkest corners of Winter's mind. She shook her head harshly; fretting over such things would be unproductive.

Still, her mind was persistent, with each image of a battered Weiss subsequently becoming more vivid each time she shook them away. She could feel a bit of bile rising in her throat as she willed herself to calm down.

Little did she know, Pyrrha was having her own issues. Tendrils of doubt swirled within the captain's mind; would they truly find Princess Weiss at the camp? Was she alright? Would the blonde girl hand over the youngest princess willingly? She knew that there would be no answers until they arrived, but she couldn't help speculating on the possibilities.

The leaders of the search party were surprised when they heard Nox suddenly shout, "Here! This is tha slope!"

Immediately, the party came to a stop, though some a little more abruptly than others. Jaune, who had been at the rear, nearly fell off his horse when he tried to prevent his horse from colliding into the back of another.

The "slope," Winter realized, was more of an embankment than a slope. It was far steeper and had far more trees than she had anticipated. She bit the inside of her cheek.

Pyrrha guided her horse until she was alongside the stalled noble. "It looks too steep to ride down. We will have to walk from here."

Winter nodded. "Dismount! Guide the horses down slowly," she ordered, dismounting from her own horse as she did so.

"We do not need any accidents." She stared at Jaune pointedly. The blonde soldier could only offer a weak chuckle in response.

Descending the embankment was perilous, as Pyrrha had predicted. Several times, a horse or rider would lose their footing briefly on some dirt that gave way, though none had actually fallen. Winter considered herself lucky for that.

Nox though, with his hands bound, had a far harder time keeping his balance. He wobbled this way and that, bracing his body against a tree when he needed to gather his bearings.

Winter paid him no mind; she had her hands full with attempting to keep her own balance. It wouldn't do for the eldest princess and heir to the Atlesian throne to slip and fall into the dirt; such a display would be shameful.

After several tense moments, Nox and Winter finally reached to bottom of the embankment. Winter released a breath, thankful that the trial was over for the time being. Getting back up would be challenging in its own right.

Slowly but surely, the others followed, until at last, Pyrrha at the rear, found herself on flat ground.

"Is everything and everyone present and accounted for?" Winter called to the captain.

Pyrrha quickly peered back up the embankment before nodding. "Everything and everyone seems to be here, Your Highness."

"Excellent," she said, actually sounding somewhat pleased. "Now where is the camp?" Her tone soured as she addressed their guide.

Nox gulped. "It's this way, Yer Highness."

He began weaving through the trees as the rest of the party followed on foot; the woods were too thick to ride through effectively.

True to his word, the party arrived at the edge of a tree line after a few short moments.

The bandit gestured towards the clearing. "Tha camp's right thar, Yer Highness."

Winter took a deep breath; this could be the moment she would see her darling Weiss again. Doubt swirled in the back of her mind, but she pushed it away, willing herself to believe that Weiss was there just beyond the trees.

Pyrrha stepped up alongside Winter, just as eager to find her favorite noble and return her safely to the castle.

With a brief nod exchanged between them, Pyrrha and Winter stepped out of the forest and into the clearing.

The sun was high in the sky, shining brilliantly down on the party, forcing them to shield their eyes as they adjusted.

The eldest princess and the captain froze.

Just ahead lay an empty camp site; a ring of rocks where a fire used to be the only real sign that someone had occupied the area.

Winter's mask slipped. Her jaw hung slack as she took in the scene, Pyrrha's face mimicking her own. Even though they had prepared for the site to be empty, the disappointment was overwhelming, and Winter could feel tears pricking at her eyes.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to entertain foolish emotions.

"Search the site. There may be something that they left behind that could lead us to Princess Weiss," she ordered, clearing her throat.

The soldiers quickly spread out, combing the area for any sign that Weiss was the one who had been there. Nox's rope was tied to a tree on the tree line, instructed to wait until they had finished.

Winter buried her feelings, putting all her effort into searching instead. She had opted to search near the few trees that were inside the clearing, figuring that it would be the best place to lay a blanket for slumber.

Pyrrha decided to search the perimeter, checking for footprints or anything else to track. At the same time, she also kept watch for any Grimm that might wander in, likely sensing the disappointment that permeated the search party's atmosphere.

The soldiers were careful in their search, overturning rocks, checking for footprints, and checking the trees as well. It wasn't until they heard an excited shout that they stopped.

Jaune ran towards the fire pit, waving something white above his head like a madman.

The party gathered, interested to find out what Jaune was so excited about.

"Your Highness! Look what I found," the blonde soldier said, the smile on his face was almost blinding.

He held out the item gingerly, and Winter grabbed it without a moment's hesitation.

The eldest princess inspected the finding like one would food if checking for poison.

The item was a small silk handkerchief, likely originally white, though at the moment it had several spots of dirt.

Winter's eyes zeroed in on a spot on the bottom right corner. Embroidered there was an ice-blue letter "S" over a snowflake of the same shade.

Pyrrha had seen it too, judging by the gasp she let out. The captain's hands covered her mouth as she held back a joyful sob.

"She was here…" Winter whispered. She clutched the fabric to her chest. "She was here…"

She shot up, startling the soldiers. "Princess Weiss was here," she shouted.

A chorus of cheers rang out through the clearing, though Winter gave them no more time to celebrate. "Search for footprints! We must figure out which way she went!"

The soldiers went to work once more, spreading out quickly to cover as much ground as possible. Pyrrha searched near the small stream nearby, discovering what looked like footprints.

She inspected the imprints in the dirt; there were two sets of imprints, one set was rather large, while the other was on the smaller side. Quickly, she determined that they were indeed footprints, and called for the party to gather.

"I've found footprints! They lead to the north," she said, a large smile on her face.

Winter brought her right hand up to her chin. "What is to the north of here? Are there any remarkable cities or villages?"

"There's a town called Postres to the north, Your Highness. While not a particularly large town, it has a special dessert market every Wednesday morning. That would be today, if I'm not mistaken," Pyrrha said, excitement lacing her voice.

The eldest princess perked up at that. "Weiss adores sweets. Especially raspberry tarts. I am sure that is where she has gone."

She practically ran to her horse, mounting the steed immediately. The others followed suit, except for Pyrrha, who went to untie Nox and bring him before Winter.

"Yer Highness? Do I get ta go free?" he nearly mumbled, scuffing one of his boots bashfully.

Winter looked down on him, her face betraying no emotion. She let him squirm under her gaze for a moment before she answered. "You do."

Before Nox could express his gratitude, Winter spoke again. "However, if I learn that you commit another crime, I will personally see to it that you are executed. Is that clear?"

Nox gulped, but nodded rapidly.

With a wave of Winter's hand, Pyrrha undid Nox's restraints. The former bandit immediately scurried off into the woods, shouts of gratitude trailing behind him.

Wasting no more time, Pyrrha mounted her horse, ordering the troops into a line. "The path they traveled is traversable on horseback, though it will be narrow. Stay alert."

Since Winter was unable to track, she had Pyrrha take the lead, though she was right behind the captain.

Internally, she let out a sigh of relief as she followed behind Pyrrha. Though they had not found Weiss, they had found a clue which would lead them to her.

Tonight, she would sleep easily; the knowledge that her beloved little sister was near bringing her the most restful sleep she'd had since the latter's disappearance.

* * *

It was dark by the time Yang and Weiss returned to the inn. Within the brawler's arms were a few sets of traveling clothes and two pairs of boots. They had been lucky enough to find what Weiss needed at an affordable price.

Yang knew her coin pouch was nowhere near as full as it needed to be, but at the moment, there were no jobs that she could do. Especially not when she had to keep Weiss safe. She would have to look for some work in Pesca.

Weiss led the way up the stairs, the wood creaking beneath them. She hummed a light tune, indicating her pleasant mood. She had enjoyed her time in the market; seeing all the different people and wares for sale was an interesting experience.

She finished her tune when they arrived at the door to their room. It opened with a slight squeak, and Weiss gestured for Yang to enter first since her arms were full.

With a murmur of "thanks," Yang made her way over to the chest of drawers, setting the clothes atop it for the time being.

"That was a lovely tune you were humming. You have a beautiful voice," the blonde said, turning to face the former princess with a gentle smile.

Weiss felt her face heat up a bit. Her voice was one of the few things that King Schnee had praised her for, but it hadn't meant much to her, considering that he had wanted to use that talent to charm guests with whom he wanted to do business.

Yang's praise meant far more to her than her father's ever would. For some reason though, she felt bashful. "Thank you, Yang," she whispered, turning her face away to hide her blush.

The blonde smiled. "You have a better voice than any bard I have ever met. Do you enjoy singing?"

Weiss nodded, still not looking at her companion. "Very much so. It's one of the few things that I was able to enjoy doing in the castle. The maids said they enjoyed hearing me sing whenever they assisted in dressing or bathing me."

"They were lucky to have heard such a beautiful voice so frequently," Yang said, beginning to put away their purchases. "That reminds me; shall we have another hot bath tonight?"

Weiss let out an involuntary sigh of bliss. "That sounds wonderful."

The two finished putting away Weiss's new clothes before they made their way downstairs to the dining area.

Amber spotted them, guiding them to a table in the corner, which was considerably quieter than the rest of the dining room. She handed them their menus before hurrying off to assist other customers.

Yang scanned the menu for a moment, before she found her desired meal and set the menu back on the table.

Weiss paused in her scrutinizing of her own menu, glancing at Yang with a curious expression. "Have you already decided?"

The blonde nodded. "I'm gonna have the beef stew. It's got meat, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Plenty of food for one meal."

"Really?" Weiss hummed. "I suppose I'll have the same."

With her decision made, Yang beckoned for Amber, who promptly took their orders and disappeared into the kitchen.

It was only a few moments later when their bowls of stew arrived. Although Weiss would use the term "bowl" lightly; the stew was practically the size of a tub, or something like the water basin Weiss had used in the castle.

"These portions are huge! How could anyone possibly eat this much?" she exclaimed.

Yang shrugged. "Don't have a _cow._ I'll eat whatever you don't."

The former princess gaped at her grinning companion. "Another pun? Shouldn't you have run out by now?" she sighed, defeated.

The blonde laughed. "There's plenty more where that came from. I told you that you had better get used to 'em."

Rolling her eyes, Weiss dug into her meal; the spoon was nearly the size of a ladle.

Unsurprisingly, Yang finished her own portion quickly and happily gobbled up her companion's leftovers. She let out a satisfied hum as they stood to speak with Eliza about their hot water.

Not long after they had returned to their room, Eliza, Amber, and the girl from the kitchen brought up the large tub and quickly filled it with steaming hot water.

Unlike the previous day, Weiss languidly removed her clothes before gently coaxing Yang to do the same. She smiled softly when she noticed Yang was considerably less reserved than she was but a day before.

The former princess got in first, sighing in bliss when the hot water enveloped her skin. Slowly, she reached a hand out to Yang, urging her to enter the water.

Yang bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before gingerly taking Weiss's hand and slowly entering the water. She too let out a contented sigh, enjoying the water as much as her companion.

"What shall we do tomorrow?" Weiss whispered after a few moments of pleasant silence.

Yang, who had closed her eyes at some point, cracked one of her lilac eyes open. "Hm? Besides the dessert market, there's not much else to do here. I'd like to sleep in though."

Weiss giggled. "That sounds like a lovely idea. We can figure out what to do tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

Yang grinned, letting her eyes fall shut again as she reveled in the warm water.

Weiss, however, remembered Yang complimenting her voice, so she decided to treat the blonde to a relaxing tune.

She took a breath, taking the air from her diaphragm and began her song.

 _The sun is rising over the island_

 _Painting the landscape in shade of pastels_

 _The dew glistens like diamonds_

 _The water begins to flow_

Yang's eyes snapped open. Across from her, Weiss had closed her own eyes and was singing softly, completely wrapped up in the words. Seeing this, the blonde couldn't help but smile and lean back, letting the song wash over her and take her mind to wherever Weiss would guide her.

It was a blissfully quiet evening.

 **I made my deadline! (In my time zone!) How was it? The more I think about it, the more I picture this version of Winter to be like Camilla from Fire Emblem Fates. (Minus her outwardly affectionate traits of course.) That might give some people a better idea of what kind of things would go through Winter's head. Also, I pulled the song lyrics out of my ass, so I have no idea what kind of notes or rhythm it has going on. It's a relaxing tune, so imagine what you will. Expect some fluff for next chapter! Woo hoo! Also, The Dragon Priestess will be updated next, so look forward to that! Until next time~!**


	8. A Cheesy Pun and a Cheesy Salesman

**Hello hello! It's chapter eight! Again, I barely managed to make my deadline, but I did indeed make it! Woo! School and other obligations are keeping me busy, but I will persevere! If there's one thing I'm good at, it's getting something done when I set my mind to it! Although I'm usually pretty lazy… Anyway, as usual, I want to give a gigantic thank-you to those who are following, favoriting, and reviewing! To the guest reviewers, a special thank-you to you all as well! I love you guys just as much as the non-guests! Now, what's going on this chapter? Weiss and Yang take it easy on their last day in Postres, though they run into a bit of trouble. How will they handle it? As per usual, there's more stuff at the bottom, so for now, on with the story!**

Light streamed in from the window, rousing Yang ever so slightly. Reluctantly, she cracked open an eye, still bleary with sleep. Wrapped up comfortably within her arms was Weiss, her rest evidently undisturbed by the rising sun. Each soft breath tickled Yang's collar, though she dared not move.

After their relaxing bath, made far more enjoyable with the pleasant addition of Weiss's singing voice, the two had retired to bed. They had started out on their respective sides, though not long after Weiss had fallen asleep, she had slowly drifted toward Yang. Half-asleep, Yang had pulled Weiss close without a second thought, falling completely asleep thanks to the former princess's gentle warmth.

Yang chuckled to herself, quietly enough so as not to wake said former princess. This was something that she wouldn't mind getting used to, she mused; sleeping alone or sleeping in a room full of soldiers was less than appealing. Perhaps she had gotten a bit spoiled having Weiss around.

A quiet mumble broke her from her thoughts. It seemed that Weiss had woken up, if only a little. The smaller girl seemed content to sleep the day away, judging by the way she burrowed into Yang's chest, shielding her eyes from the light.

After a moment, Weiss seemed to give up, opening her eyes with a groan.

"Good morning," Yang whispered, an amused lilt to her voice.

"'Morning," Weiss yawned. "What time do you think it is?"

Yang hummed. "The sun's been up for a while, so probably a few hours before noon. You hungry?"

"A bit. Do we have anything to eat?"

"Don't think so. Do you want me to bring you something?"

Surprising Yang, and perhaps Weiss herself, the smaller girl latched onto Yang's arm. "It will be cold without you," came a quiet voice. Weiss's cheeks were tinged a slight pink, likely from the embarrassment over her childlike behavior. Despite this, she did not release her grip.

"I can't get you food if I can't get out of bed," Yang said gently, a small grin on her face.

For a moment, Weiss said nothing, weighing the consequences in her head. With a sigh, she released Yang's arm. "I'd like some bread and cheese," she yawned, daintily placing a hand over her mouth to stifle it. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Yang rose, stretching her arms above her head. She gave her blonde tresses a shake, feeling the weight of her hair settle against her back. "I'd enjoy the company, but you don't have to."

The former princess threw the blankets unceremoniously from her legs, rising with a stretch of her own. "I'll go. I suppose I can't spend the whole day in bed, no matter how much I would like to." As she grabbed the hairbrush the two had bought the day before, she half turned to her blonde companion. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to make you go out alone while I luxuriate beneath the warm sheets."

Yang let out a laugh. "We can always return to bed after we get our breakfast."

"Excellent idea."

The brawler smiled brightly, pulling on her armor while Weiss changed. Each piece was equipped with practiced ease, and as such, she managed to tighten the last strap just as Weiss pulled on her new boots.

"Ready to go?" Yang asked, a hand already on the knob of the door.

"Yes. I'm so hungry I could eat a Grimm," Weiss groaned with an exaggerated sigh.

Her companion laughed heartily, raising her hands in a placating fashion. "We'd better hurry then! If we can't find you something to eat fast, the situation will become quite _Grimm."_

Yang exited the room nearly doubled over laughing, a stone-faced Weiss trailing behind her.

* * *

The streets were bustling by this time in the morning, though there were considerably less people than yesterday. It seemed that the dessert market was far more important to Postres than it had originally seemed.

With Yang leading Weiss by the hand, which had become the norm, the two headed back to the main square. If they couldn't find what they were looking for, they could at least find someone who could assist them in their search, the woman they had encountered on the night of their arrival leapt to Yang's mind.

Fortunately for the starving former princess, the smell of fresh bread was easy to identify. Nearly dragging her blonde companion behind her, Weiss followed her nose to a storefront where a cheery man was placing fresh loaves of bread on a display in front of a window.

Weiss inhaled deeply, reveling in the heavenly scent. Beside her, Yang did the same, feeling her mouth water as she did so.

Yang checked her coin pouch. It was even lighter now due to her recent necessary purchases for Weiss. They would be able to afford breakfast before they set off for Pesca tomorrow, but getting a job upon arrival was unavoidable. She was not going to deny Weiss the exotic fish she wanted on account of insufficient coin.

Pushing the thoughts of her dwindling coin pouch away for the time being, she led Weiss inside.

Instantly, the smell of freshly baked bread enveloped them. The portly baker greeted them with a warm smile; the flour covering his face and arms betrayed just how long he had been working this morning alone. No doubt he had risen at some horrendous hour to begin preparing the dough for baking.

"Good morning, ladies! Is there anything I can get for you?" he greeted cheerily. "I have plenty of fresh bread! Just out of the fire," he gestured to the display in front of the window.

Weiss hummed, her eyes roving over the various types of bread laid out before her. Each loaf and roll looked more delicious than the last. At a loss, she turned to Yang, who had been patiently waiting for her to make a decision. "What do you think would go well with cheese?"

The blonde brought a hand up to her chin. "Hm… If we get a soft cheese, it would be good to get some really hot bread. We can melt the cheese over it that way."

"That sounds delightful," Weiss sighed dreamily.

"In that case, I'll have another batch of rolls done in a few minutes. Why don't you ladies buy the cheese first and come back afterwards?" The baker chimed in.

"That's a good idea," Yang said, a grin on her face. "Where's a good place to get cheese around here?"

"Just down the street off to the left is a guy named Milo. He's got the best cheese in Postres." A conspiratorial grin came over the baker's face. "If you mention that Gerard sent you, he'll give you double the cheese for half the price."

Weiss's eyebrows rose for but a second before they returned to their original position; her training to hide her emotions faltering for an instant. Clearly, the cheesemaker was indebted to the baker in some way, though she was not about to pry into such a matter.

In her place, Yang nodded, taking Weiss's hand and moving towards the door. "Got it. We'll be back."

Gerard sent them off with a smile and a wave, returning to his work.

As per the directions, Weiss and Yang made their way down the street, passing stall after stall of peddlers selling their wares. Most of the time, a seller would make their pitch, the two would politely decline, and the seller would let them be on their way.

Unfortunately, there were two sellers who took a more aggressive approach. They were two young men, their faces clean-shaven save for a wiry mustache on one and a small goatee on the other. The mustached man approached Weiss while the goateed man approached Yang. Their smiles were pleasant enough, though there was something unsettling about them.

"Hello, fair maiden," the mustached man intoned, taking Weiss's free hand and planting a kiss on the back of it. "How are you doing on this lovely day?"

"I am fine," Weiss said, extracting her hand. "Whatever it is you are selling, I am not interested."

The clicked his tongue. "Now, now. Don't say that. You don't even know what it is I am selling." He pulled on Weiss's arm, breaking her vice grip on Yang's hand. "Come and see what I have to offer you!"

She protested, though she couldn't actually stop him. He guided, or rather pulled her over to the tent which contained several pieces of jewelry.

Yang, for her part, was having troubles of her own. The goateed man had tried to drag her to his own jewelry tent nearby, though Yang's considerable size and strength made that impossible. He then settled for giving his sales pitch right where they stood, using his body to block Yang from getting to Weiss. The two men preferred a "divide and conquer" approach to their sales.

As the goateed man continued his rather animated account of how the two men came upon their jewels, the mustached man had been showing Weiss each and every piece of jewelry, a vice grip on her arm preventing her from getting free.

"Now we found the exquisite jewels for this necklace inside a cave in northern Vale. Do you like diamonds, madam?" The mustached man asked.

"I do, but I believe I told you that I was uninterested in purchasing anything from you two. Release me and my companion and I will be on our way. We have somewhere to be." Weiss's tone was icy, though her salesman seemed to pay it no mind.

The goateed man was having similar luck with Yang, who seemed to be preparing herself to flatten him if need be. "Miss, this bracelet would look wonderful on you! Or perhaps you could give it to your beautiful lover over there? She looks like she would appreciate a fine bracelet."

Yang shook her head, fixing him with a fiery glare. "We are not lovers and we don't need any jewelry. How many times do we have to tell you that? Now get out of the way before I make you get out of the way."

He waggled a finger at her. "Now, now! There is no need for violence. If you just look at my wares, you will see that I have some of the finest jewelry in Atlas! You will surely change your mind."

Meanwhile, the mustached man used one hand to take a necklace from the spot it was hanging. "At the very least, won't you examine these diamonds, madam? Surely a woman like yourself can appreciate some beautiful diamonds."

Weiss snatched the necklace, prepared to smash it into the ground with her foot, though a bizarre glint made her stop. She brought the diamonds close, examining them with the same care a scholar would a new specimen.

All at once, she ripped a diamond out, and threw it into the ground. Upon impact, the "diamond" shattered, the sound stopping both men and Yang in their tracks.

Weiss whirled on her salesman, who had turned as pale as her hair. "What do you think you're doing selling fake diamonds?"

The mustached man gulped, releasing his grip on Weiss and backing away slowly. "Er… Well that one was just a display model. The rest are real, I assure you!" He sounded desperate, like he was trying to convince both his angry customer and himself.

"Is that right? So if I went to examine your other jewels they would all be authentic? Do I need to test them?" She had been steadily approaching the mustached man, her ice-blue eyes radiating a cold fury.

"Well… that is—"

Weiss reached for a pair of sapphire earrings, raising them high above her head and fixing the mustached man with a challenging look.

"Wait! Stop! Alright! They're all fake! Is that what you want?!" The mustached man shouted, waving his arms to stop Weiss from destroying any more of his wares.

Weiss looked over to Yang, who had been standing there in awe. "Yang, would you kindly come here for a moment?"

The blonde did as she was asked, not so subtly knocking into the goateed man who had been pestering her. When she stood in front of Weiss, the white haired girl gestured to the mustached man.

"Please hold him still for a moment so he can't run away."

The mustached man gulped as Yang's firm grip on his shoulders locked him into place.

Weiss stood about a foot away from him before she stepped in and kept her face a mere few inches away. "Now listen well, you con," she whispered, her fury barely held in check. "You are not to market these 'jewels' as authentic. If you can't follow that, I will be sure to report you to the guardsmen."

"You are not to bother people who refuse your pitch; if they say no, that is all there is to it. They don't want to look at your wares and that is enough."

"Finally, if either you or your partner attempt to retaliate, I will personally ensure that you two will spend the rest of your days doing hard labor. Am I clear?"

Her whispered tone brooked no argument, and thus the only thing the two men could do was frantically nod.

Satisfied, Weiss took a step back, nodding to Yang.

The blonde released him, though before either man could scurry back to their tents, she whispered something to them that Weiss couldn't make out. Whatever it was, it caused the two faux-jewelry peddlers to pale and nod even more frantically than they had after Weiss's lecture.

Yang left it at that, returning to Weiss's side and taking her hand. "Shall we find that cheese seller?"

With a nod from Weiss, the two continued down the road, ignoring the salesmen who practically tripped over themselves trying to flee.

"What did you say to them?" Weiss inquired, her tone just slightly amused.

Yang shrugged, a nonchalant look resting on her features. "I just told them what their punishment from me would be if they broke any of your rules."

Weiss giggled. "They looked as if they had seen a Grimm."

"They might as well have," Yang laughed.

After a few moments of walking, Weiss's earlier glare crossed Yang's mind, sending a shiver down her spine. She could only hope she would never be on the receiving end of it. "You can be pretty scary when you want to be…" she muttered.

"Did you say something?" Weiss asked innocently.

"Nope! Nothing at all!"

Not long after, they came upon a stall displaying all kinds of cheese. A wiry man stood before his wares, looking back and forth eagerly for potential buyers.

"Are you Milo?" Weiss asked stepping forward.

A wide smile befitting a salesman rested on his lips. "I am! Are you lovely ladies interested in buying some delicious cheese? I daresay it is the best cheese on Remnant!"

"Indeed, we are," Weiss said, her tone pleasant. "Gerard mentioned you would give us a good deal if we told you he sent us. Is this true?"

At the mention of Gerard, Milo visibly winced. "That guy…" he muttered, an irritated look crossing his features.

Yang took a step forward, ready to intervene should things take a turn for the worse. It seemed though that action would be unnecessary, as Milo's earlier smile returned, although there was a strain to it.

"I owe Gerard a few favors, but be sure to tell him I'm gonna go out of business if he keeps doing this to me." He sighed, pulling out a paper bag. "What kind of cheese were you ladies looking for?"

"A soft cheese that would be easy to melt over bread," Yang said, her stomach grumbling in anticipation.

Milo paused for only a moment, considering his wares carefully before settling on a white cheese. "This Atlesian cheese is very soft, easily able to be spread, even more so than butter. It is flavorful, though not overwhelming, so it will complement the bread rather than overpower it." He gingerly placed several pieces in the bag, handing it delicately to Weiss.

"Is there anything else you ladies would like?" He asked politely.

Yang shook her head. "No, thank you."

Milo nodded. "Alright then. I'll just need 5 lien from you two."

Yang reached into her coin pouch, fishing out the lien they owed and handing it to the salesman.

"Thank you very much," he smiled. "And don't forget to tell Gerard what I told you! That guy will run me into the poor house if he keeps this up."

"We will," Weiss said with a smile, turning around and heading back the way she and Yang had come.

A few short moments later, the two arrived back at Gerard's shop.

"Welcome back, ladies! I see you found Milo. How is he?" the baker greeted, laughter plain in his voice.

"He is fine, though he asked us to tell you that you will run him poor if you keep sending people for half-priced cheese," the smaller girl said, a smile on her face.

Gerard barked out a laugh, slapping his knee and sending the flour covering him into the air. "I better give that poor guy a rest. He owes me, but I don't want him to lose his business over it."

His face brightened. "Ah! Your rolls must be just about done. Let me go get them for you ladies!" He hurried out of sight to the back.

Gerard reappeared a moment later, a batch of steaming hot rolls resting on a pan in his hands. "Here they are! They look good?" he asked, angling the tray so his customers could see.

The two women nodded, hearty grins resting on their lips.

"Great! Let me put them in a bag for you two! Careful when you take them. They're pretty hot."

With their purchase in Yang's hands and coin in Gerard's, the two companions returned to the inn.

Eliza greeted them from the desk, apparently not yet needed for lunch preparations. "That smells wonderful! Did you two get some bread from Gerard's?"

Receiving a nod in response, she smiled warmly. "He has some of the best bread in Postres. I'm sure you two will enjoy it."

With a polite wave, Weiss and Yang continued upstairs, eager to devour their breakfast.

When they arrived at their room, the two quickly changed back into their sleeping clothes and settled on the bed. The fire from last night was still crackling, giving a cozy feel to the room.

Wasting no time, Yang pulled out two rolls, handing one to Weiss.

The former princess extracted two large slices of cheese and handed one to Yang, placing her own atop the roll.

In comfortable silence, the two waited eagerly for the cheese to melt, ready to enjoy their meal as soon as possible.

After what seemed like an eternity, the cheese had finished melting and the two companions exchanged a grin before taking a generous bite.

The creamy taste of the cheese enveloped their mouths, while the bread provided body to the bite. The taste was fulfilling, and both girls sighed with bliss, enjoying one of the last hearty breakfasts they would have for a while.

With a warm fire in the corner and delicious food in hand, Weiss and Yang were content to spend the rest of the day lazing about, only leaving the room for lunch and dinner.

As had become customary, the two enjoyed a hot bath –their last for a while—before returning to bed.

Tomorrow they would set out for Pesca, but for now, they would take comfort in sleeping in a nice bed together.

 **And chapter 8 is complete! Woo! How was it? I wrote a good portion of this when I was supposed to be paying attention in my Spanish film class. Oops… Eh. We don't even watch the films in class, so it doesn't matter. I'm making the class worth my time. (I'm trying to justify my bad habits. Is it working?) This chapter ended up being more eventful than I planned, but it was mostly because I kept thinking about how Weiss isn't very similar to her cannon self. I wanted to include angry Weiss, so that was how the jewelry scene came into being. Did it seem more Weiss-like? I suppose my version of Weiss is less… prickly… because she really likes Yang. She trusts her and is happy with her current lifestyle, so she doesn't need to be defensive or uptight around her. Besides, I'm sure Weiss would be polite to people if they deserved it. Does that make sense? Anyway, the two will be heading off to Pesca next chapter! Woo hoo! The next update will be the final chapter of FlashYang! Look forward to that! Until next time~!**


	9. Search and Encounter

**Hello, hello! Happy Halloween everybody! I'm pretty late on this update, but my health took a huge hit this week and I haven't been able to go to most of my classes or write. It's been absolutely horrendous, but I'm getting better bit by bit. This time, Weiss has an epiphany of sorts before she and Yang set off for Pesca. Winter's group returns this time as well! To all those who are following, favoriting, and reviewing, a huge thank you! Your support means the world to me! Now, on with the chapter!**

As had become the norm during their time in Postres, Yang woke up to light filtering from the window and Weiss curled into her side. She sighed; she was not looking forward to sleeping under her blanket by herself. The excuse of only having one bed available would no longer work once they left for Pesca.

She gingerly extracted her arms from around Weiss and rose with a stretch, a satisfying popping sound coming from her back. Deciding to let Weiss sleep a little more, Yang pulled on her armor as quietly as she could.

It was a quiet morning; there were no birds chirping, and the sounds of the town had not reached the room. The sky was fairly clear, making for excellent traveling weather. It probably would not last though; mornings were becoming crisper; a clear sign that autumn was coming. The deer pelt that Yang had turned into a cloak for Weiss would come in handy in the coming weeks.

When she finished tightening the last strap, her stomach let out a sound not unlike a Beowolf's growl. She checked on Weiss to make sure the sound had not roused the smaller girl. Fortunately, Weiss continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of anything outside her dreams.

Finding breakfast was Yang's next task. Unsurprisingly, the two companions had devoured every last bit of the bread and cheese the day prior; it wasn't often that they were able to eat such a treat when travelling.

She searched their bags; they had enough dried meat for a few meals, but Yang felt it would be better to save them in case they were unable to find food.

With a touch of reservation, she opened her coin pouch, cringing at the measly jingle it created when opened. Inside the pouch was roughly 30 lien, barely enough for a one-night stay in an inn. Still, it wouldn't be good to travel on an empty stomach.

Looking over at Weiss and finding her to still be asleep, Yang strapped her coin pouch to her belt and quietly left the room. Hopefully she wouldn't be gone for more than a few moments.

* * *

Weiss, surprisingly, woke on her own. She had expected Yang to gently nudge her awake as she always had.

"Yang?" Weiss mumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She was met with silence; usually Yang would respond instantly. Something was not right.

"Yang? Are you here?" Weiss asked, a bit more urgency seeping into her voice. Realistically, she knew that there would be nowhere for Yang to be inside the room that was not visible from the bed, yet an irrational part of her forced logic from her mind.

She rose from the bed, padding over to the chest of drawers. Several articles of Yang's clothes were still inside. With a sigh of relief, Weiss shut the drawers; so Yang hadn't abandoned her after all.

With that thought, she stopped. Why had she thought Yang had abandoned her? And why was she so worried that the other girl had done so? Since the beginning, her companion had not once done her wrong –besides her terrible puns that she loved to torture the former princess with—yet Weiss had doubted her. What brought that on?

She began to put on her new traveling clothes as she pondered, enjoying the warmth that they brought. As she pulled on her new boots, she was struck with something of an epiphany.

She was _afraid._ She was afraid of losing Yang. In a little over two months, Yang had become the single most important person in Weiss's life. Even Winter, given the distance between them, meant less to Weiss than her blonde companion did.

The thought of losing the one person that truly meant something to Weiss terrified her to no end. Imagining such a thing sent shivers down her spine. She was struck with an urge to cry, though she forced it down; there was no point in crying over something that hadn't happened after all.

Aside from her time with Winter as a child, no one had cared for Weiss as much as Yang had in such a short time. It was a foreign feeling, yet entirely welcome. It left her warm, almost as warm as Yang's body heat made her.

So what now? Weiss was at a loss; what was she to do with this information? She had just discovered that she deeply cared for her companion, but just how much was "deeply?" Was it something like a sibling relationship? A friendship? Or perhaps…

The sound of the door opening behind her made her jump; her train of thought had been heading in a direction that she wasn't sure she wanted to follow just yet. It was too soon to truly tell if what her feelings were. After all, the two had not known each other for long, and the last thing Weiss wanted to do was drive her companion away because she misinterpreted the other girl's actions.

Yang stepped through the door, carrying a paper bag under one arm. She spotted Weiss sitting stock-still on the bed, a peculiar expression on her face.

"Is everything alright, Weiss?" Yang tilted her head with a look of concern.

Weiss jolted slightly before hesitantly meeting the blonde's worried lilac eyes. "Everything is fine. Why do you ask?" Her voice was higher in pitch than she intended, and she winced internally, knowing that she was failing to fool her companion.

Yang's brows furrowed a bit, puzzled by Weiss's odd demeanor and rather unconvincing answer. "You seem kinda… jumpy. Did something happen while I was gone?"

Weiss forced her political relations training to the forefront of her mind before she answered with a small smile. "Do I truly? Nothing of note happened. I simply woke up, noticed you weren't here, then got dressed."

Something still felt off about Weiss's answer, but Yang decided not to press for the time being. When Weiss was ready to tell her, she would.

"I brought breakfast," she said, holding the paper bag out to Weiss.

The former princess opened the bag, smiling when she saw some bread with a sunny side up egg atop it. "This looks delicious," Weiss said as she retrieved her breakfast. "That's why you were out?"

Yang nodded as she took her own breakfast out. "We've got a long few days ahead of us, so I figured I would let you sleep a little more while I got breakfast. I was gonna get some meat to go with this, but we need to save our lien until we get to Pesca."

Weiss happily bit into her food, enjoying the fact that it was still warm. "It's delicious even without the meat. Thank you."

Through breakfast, neither spoke, simply enjoying the food and the comforts of the inn before they would be traveling for a few days. It would be difficult to leave the pleasant inn, but they wouldn't be able to see Remnant if they never left.

As usual, Yang finished first. While waiting for Weiss to finish, she collected their clothes from the chest of drawers and put them in the burlap sacks. Fortunately, it was a quick task; they didn't have many possessions after all.

Weiss finished as Yang tightened the string around the mouth of the last sack. She stood and dusted the crumbs off of her clothing before turning to Yang. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

Yang hoisted the sacks over her shoulder before opening the door and allowing Weiss through first.

The floorboards of the inn creaked with each step, and the candles lighting the way flickered briefly as they passed. There were no others awake at this time, it seemed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they greeted Eliza who was sitting before the ledger.

"Good morning, you two!" she said as she opened the ledger and found the page she needed. "Where will you two be heading?"

"We are leaving for Pesca. Yang has told me that they have a lot of delicious seafood."

Eliza giggled. "They are certainly famous for it. Between their fish and our dessert market, it's a wonder how the people don't end up looking like some of the nobles!"

The three shared a laugh before Eliza scribbled down the information she needed. "Alright, ladies. Please be careful out there. While creatures of Grimm can be dangerous, it's people whom you really have to watch out for."

Weiss and Yang chuckled awkwardly at the cryptic warning before leaving with a friendly wave.

* * *

Much like the previous day, the streets were less busy than the morning of the dessert festival. Many merchants were making their way to the square, much like before, but there were less than usual because of the early hour of the travelers' departure.

"What do you think she meant by that?" Weiss queried, her brow furrowed in thought.

The blonde released a puff of air. "She probably meant that people can hide their true nature in order to deceive you. Grimm are an open threat, but people can sometimes be a more covert threat."

"I doubt we would be tricked by anyone. After all, we aren't looking for information or anything like that. There is nothing to be deceived over." Weiss's tone was matter-of-fact as she walked beside Yang.

"I suppose you're right, but it can never hurt to be careful. I'm sure she's heard of countless tales of people being swindled."

Weiss nodded, and with that, the two let a comfortable silence overtake them as they exited the town.

* * *

The clatter of hooves on cobblestone could be heard throughout the town as Winter's party arrived in a rush. Once they arrived at the square, they dismounted their horses and convened at the large fountain.

"Listen well," Winter bellowed, "We must hurry and gather information. The sooner we do so, the quicker we can find where Princess Weiss and her companion have gone. It's possible we could still find her here, so make sure to stay vigilant as you question the townsfolk. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness," came the chorused reply.

"Good. Captain Nikos, you and I will ask the merchants in the square. The rest of you will disperse to search around town. Make sure you give an extremely clear description of Princess Weiss, but do not give away her name. The last thing we need is to cause an uproar. As far as her companion goes, make sure to emphasize the traits we learned from that bandit; an incredibly tall blonde woman with an unusual weapon. We will meet back here at noon."

With another affirmative reply from the soldiers, Winter gave the order to disperse. Postres was by no means a large town, but that didn't mean it would be easy to find someone. Still, they would not rest until they found Weiss, or at least discovered where she had left for.

"Captain Nikos, I will interview those on the left side of the fountain. You will interview those on the right," Winter ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness. I am sure we will discover something," Pyrrha said with a bow. Her voice held a determined edge to it.

The two women parted, immediately beginning their investigation. The rest of the soldiers had dispersed about the town, checking inside various shops and asking passing villagers.

Most of the people had been too busy with their own affairs to pay attention to those around them, but the few that had been paying attention had not seen anyone who matched either description.

As the sun neared its peak, Pyrrha approached a stout woman selling flowers. "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm looking for someone and I would like to ask you if you have seen anyone matching their description. Would that be alright?"

"Certainly, young lady. What do they look like?" The woman asked, her merchant smile gone when she sensed the serious atmosphere radiating from the captain.

"There are two people actually. One of them is a petite girl with ivory hair. She should be wearing white clothing of some kind. The other is a tall blonde woman. She has some unusual weapons on her wrists. Do you recall seeing anyone like that?" Pyrrha kept her tone professional, but she felt worry gnawing at her.

The woman put a hand to her chin, pondering for a moment before recognition appeared on her face. "Actually, I do remember two girls like that. They showed up here a day before the dessert market and asked about food and lodging. They were a pretty odd-looking pair. The blonde girl had a lot of armor on. She looked like the rich-looking girl's guard."

The smile on Pyrrha's face was blinding. "Really?! Would you happen to know where they went after asking for directions?"

"If I remember right, they wanted to know where _The Creaking Wagon Inn_ was. I think they went there."

"Which way is the inn?"

"It's down that road to the west there. The inn's on the left side and has got a big sign in the shape of a wagon," the woman said as she pointed down the road.

Pyrrha took the woman's hands in her own and shook them enthusiastically. "Thank you very much for your help!" Before she left, she handed the woman several lien and thanked her once more before returning to the agreed meeting spot.

At noon, Winter and the soldiers reconvened, each looking more disappointed than the last. Pyrrha was like a beacon of light among them, the wide smile on her face catching Winter's attention.

"Did you find anything out, Captain Nikos?" she asked, unable to completely hide the hope in her voice.

Pyrrha's smile only widened further. "Yes, Your Highness! A woman selling flowers told me she had seen two girls matching Princess Weiss and her companion's descriptions. Apparently they went to stay at _The Creaking Wagon Inn_. I made sure to reward her handsomely for her information."

A murmur of excitement went through the soldiers. Winter's face still held a sharpness to it, but Pyrrha could tell that the eldest princess was excited,

"Lead the way then, Captain. There's not a moment to waste," Winter said, as she grabbed her horse's reins.

* * *

When the group arrived at the inn, only Winter and Pyrrha entered, not wishing to disturb the patrons by cramming the entryway with soldiers.

The woman at the ledger looked up at the sound of the door opening, and felt her jaw drop. Of the two women entering, one looked remarkably like royalty, while the other looked like a soldier. She'd had a lot of interesting people visit her inn this week.

Winter stepped up to the small desk. "Are you the proprietress of this inn?"

The woman gulped. "Indeed I am. My name is Eliza. What may I do for you?"

"I am looking for two girls who were rumored to have stayed here. Have a small girl with white hair and a tall blonde woman come through here?" Winter's tone was all business, and it seemed to intimidate Eliza.

"Um, yes. Actually, two girls matching your description left just this morning. They said they were heading for Pesca," Eliza said with a shiver.

Winter and Pyrrha exchanged a hopeful glance before Winter handed the frightened proprietress a tall stack of lien. "Thank you for your assistance."

And with that, the two left, leaving behind a bewildered Eliza.

Winter immediately mounted her horse once she stepped outside, Pyrrha following suit. "Mount your horses! Princess Weiss and her companion have left for Pesca just this morning! We will catch up with them on the road between the two cities!"

The soldiers did as ordered and the party was off, exiting the town a few moments later.

 _Just wait for me Weiss. I'll find you and bring you back to your rightful home._

* * *

Weiss and Yang had been walking along the road to Pesca, enjoying the pleasant weather of the day. The air was warm, but not unbearably so, allowing them to walk comfortably without sweating.

When the sun had nearly reached its peak, the two took a break to eat some of their dried meat.

Weiss grimaced a bit. "I'm grateful for the food, but I already miss the food in Postres."

Yang nodded as she tore a piece off of her own lunch. "Yeah. Once you get some good food in a town, going back to traveling food is pretty tough."

She chewed on another bite, glancing up towards the sky in thought. "When I was in the militia, after my uncle had given me Ember Celica, we had to head to the mainland for a mission one day. There was a caravan and everything. They had a whole wagon of food and they even brought along an actual cook to make our meals."

Weiss, while unfamiliar with many of the inner workings of the military, was aware that having a caravan was rather common in Atlas. Perhaps it was a bigger deal in other countries?

Yang looked over at her companion with a slight grin. "To answer your unspoken question, it was a pretty big deal. Usually we'd have to hunt for something and then prepare it ourselves. Let me tell you, not a single one of those guys had an ounce of cooking talent."

The former princess giggled before she was struck with a thought. "Yang? You told me your uncle was a blacksmith and that he made your weapons, correct?"

Yang stopped her chewing, fixing Weiss with a curious glance. "Yeah, why?" She swallowed her bite.

"I just remembered that I wanted to ask you something about him. Is he famous?"

The blonde hummed. "I think so. He's gotten lots of offers to become the royal blacksmith in various kingdoms. He turned them all down though; said he wouldn't be able to create his unique weapons if he was always tasked with forging and repairing weapons for hundreds of soldiers."

Weiss nodded. "I can understand that. But… by unique weapons, do you mean ones like yours that can fire dust?"

"That's right," Yang said, running a hand over one of her gauntlets. "I don't really get it myself, but when I punch, I can launch dust at them from a little ways away or hit them with a blast up close. You'd have to ask my uncle how it works."

"You know, one of the captains in the military back home had a weapon that could fire dust quite far. It could match an arrow in distance. It could also transform into two other weapons. Do you think he was responsible for it?" Weiss pondered.

Yang hummed. "Could be. Do you remember if it had a name?"

"I believe it did, though the name escapes me at the moment. It was a rather bizarre name that didn't sound Atlesian or Valian. Perhaps it was Mistralian?" Weiss mused, a finger tapping at her chin.

"He probably made it then. If it can change forms and it has a name, it's probably one of his creations. I've never heard of any other blacksmith who can do the same thing."

With that, Weiss finished the last of her lunch and the two set off once more down the road. It was a far easier trek than going through the forest; Weiss didn't have to worry about tripping over any roots.

The two exchanged pleasant conversation as they walked, enjoying the company of the other. There was never a shortage of tales between them, their lives having been so different and eventful.

Yang tended to avoid talking about some of the battles she experienced in the militia, electing to spare Weiss the gruesome details of combat. While Weiss would likely have to experience such things at some point during their travels, there was no point in frightening her. Yang would keep her out of the danger of battle as much as she could.

As the day went on, the two passed a few merchants riding atop of a horse or in a wagon. Each one gave a friendly wave to Weiss and Yang before continuing on their way.

Yang figured they would have to get a horse at some point. If nothing else, it could carry their things while they walked. She knew Weiss would object if she told Weiss to ride on the back while she walked. The former princess had explicitly stated several times that she didn't want special treatment.

Yang was broken out of her reverie by the sound of several horses heading their way at a high speed. Before she could pull Weiss to the side of the road, she heard someone shout.

"Weiss! I've finally found you!"

Weiss whipped around. "Winter?!"

 **And chapter 9 is complete! Threw in a cliffhanger here, but I figured it would feel more dramatic this way. As far as Weiss's epiphany goes, she's completely inexperienced with the feelings she's currently dealing with, so she's kind of uneasy. She doesn't really want to overthink anything and make a mistake with Yang, so she'd rather ignore the feelings for now. Does that make sense? Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Until next time~!**


	10. (Happy?) Reunion

**Hello, hello! It's chapter 10! We've hit something of a milestone, and so I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has been following, favoriting, and reviewing. Your support really pushes me to keep going. And for those of you that are just now reading the story, welcome! I hope you look forward to what is to come. Anyway, I wish everyone who has finals and such coming up the absolute best of luck! Push through your procrastinating habits and study hard! As always, more at the bottom, so for now, on with the chapter~!**

"Winter?!" Weiss gasped, stepping out from behind Yang. Slowly, hesitantly, she approached Winter, who had not dismounted from her horse. "What are you doing here?"

"Clearly I am here for you. There are not many other matters that would send me to this remote corner of the kingdom." Winter said, her tone icy.

Before either of the sisters could say more, Yang stepped forward. "How did you find us?"

Winter arched a single, well-groomed eyebrow, regarding the blonde with as much disdain as she would an insect. "And you must be Weiss's companion. What is your name?"

"I asked you a question first," the blonde grunted.

The younger of the two Schnee siblings put a placating hand on her companion's shoulder before she cleared her throat. "This is Yang. She has been traveling with me and keeping me safe for almost two months now."

The redheaded captain, who had been silent beside the elder Schnee up until now, spoke up. "Greetings, Miss Yang! I am Captain Pyrrha Nikos. Thank you very much for keeping Princess Weiss safe. We are greatly indebted to you." From atop her horse, she bowed deeply, the other soldiers behind her following suit. Only Winter remained upright.

"So," the elder Schnee intoned, "what is it you desire for your reward?"

Yang blinked before her brow furrowed. "Reward? I don't need a reward."

"No need to be modest. You deserve a reward for your… _heroic_ actions." It seemed as if her pervious statement left a bad taste in Winter's mouth. True, she was grateful to the blonde barbarian for keeping her precious little sister safe, but she didn't want the brute tainting Weiss any further with her presence.

Yang shook her head. "Then let me rephrase what I said earlier, Your Highness: I don't _want_ a reward. I didn't save Weiss because I thought I'd get something out of it. I saved her because I _wanted_ to."

Winter's ice-blue eyes, devoid of the warmth that Weiss's had, narrowed dangerously. In her peripheral vision, she could see Pyrrha wince. "You dare speak her name without her proper title? How _bold_ you have become in such a short time of knowing her."

The situation was devolving fast, and a quick glance at her companion's normally-lilac eyes –now dyed a bloody red—told Weiss that she needed to intervene quickly before the argument turned violent.

"Winter, please! I told Yang to address me without a title!"

But the elder Schnee paid her no mind, dismounting her horse and swiftly closing the distance between herself and the blonde barbarian. Yang had several inches on her, but that would not stop her.

The redheaded captain quickly dismounted, sparing Weiss an apologetic nod before attempting to diffuse the situation.

"Your Highness, Princess Weiss and Miss Yang have likely experienced a lot of hardship together. It is only natural that they would grow closer because of it."

Weiss hurried to stand in front of Yang, laying a hand on her arm and squeezing gently. Her blonde companion's eyes had not once left Winter's, locked in a silent battle. "Yang, please," she whispered. "It won't end well for us if you start a fight with my sister. I'm begging you to let it go."

At the hushed concern of her companion, Yang let out a breath, feeling her anger go from an all-consuming rage to a simmer. She could feel her eyes return to their usual color. Weiss was right, and it probably wouldn't do to punch her sister, the heir to the Atlesian throne, square in her pompous face.

She finally met the worried gaze of the smaller girl and sighed. "Alright, I'll let it go." The relieved smile on Weiss's face was reward enough for her decision.

Winter, however, would not back down. "Kneel and apologize, _peasant._ Give Princess Weiss her due respect."

Pyrrha winced for the second time. To her, this was not a matter of respect, but rather a matter of Winter displaying dominance. Still, there was nothing she could do, no matter what her thoughts were on the matter.

Weiss mirrored Pyrrha's wince, checking on the reaction of the blonde brawler.

Yang felt her fingers twitch, positively _itching_ to silence the eldest princess. Still, for Weiss's and her own sake, she kept her anger in check.

She glanced at Weiss, whose wide eyes betrayed the fear she felt, before she dropped to one knee and bowed her head begrudgingly. "I am deeply sorry, Princess Weiss," she ground out. "I humbly beg you to forgive my thoughtless insolence."

There were tears forming in Weiss's eyes; it truly hurt to see Yang forced into such a humiliating state, but she kept the tears at bay. Keeping a stiff upper lip, she forced out, "You are forgiven. You may rise."

Yang did so in a flash, sending Weiss an understanding look before turning her fiery gaze on Winter. The whole situation had turned sour because of the eldest princess, but she knew better than to pick a fight with royalty.

"Will that suffice, Your Highness?" Yang asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

Winter huffed. "For now." She turned her gaze to Weiss, who was looking worriedly between Yang and herself. "Come, Sister. It is time you ended this little escapade and returned to the castle."

Weiss's gaze fell the ground, her head bowed slightly. Despite her obvious submissive behavior, she did not move.

"Weiss, I am not asking you; I am telling you it is time to return home." Her tone was imperious, almost overpowering as she arched an eyebrow at her sister.

Again, Weiss did not move, electing to simply stare at the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, seeming to shrink under her sister's gaze.

Yang glanced at Weiss, taking in her fearful yet defiant actions, before she stepped in front of her, crouching down to meet her gaze. She kept her expression soft, as she quietly addressed her companion, keeping her voice low enough so Winter and the soldiers couldn't hear. "Weiss? I've really enjoyed traveling with you." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she would say next. "But the choice is yours to make."

Weiss's eyes, which had squeezed nearly shut in fear, shot wide open. Openly, she gaped at her companion.

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do; whether you go back to the castle or not, I'll support you with everything I've got." With each word she forced out, Yang could feel her heart twisting violently in her chest. If she was to be completely honest, she wanted nothing more than to knock out the soldiers, punch Winter square in her snooty face, and sweep Weiss off her feet to some hidden paradise. But, the realistic part of her knew that she couldn't do that.

Weiss had spent the entirety of her life being told what to do, how to act, and what to think. Since she left the castle, she had been able to blossom into a stronger, freer version of herself. Yang was not going to take that away from her and tell her to stay, no matter how much it would destroy her if she left. She couldn't be selfish, even though her heart desperately screamed at her to do so.

In that moment, it became entirely clear to her that what she felt for Weiss was far deeper than simple gratitude or companionship. She held a strong affection for Weiss, but searching her heart for how deep that affection ran was a dangerous endeavor. If it ran too deep, Weiss's return to the castle would shatter her heart, which had just begun to open up again. For now, she would leave it be and hope that Weiss would choose to stay.

Weiss searched the earnest eyes of her companion, wondering if there was something there that she could latch onto, some kind of emotion that could guide her. Unfortunately for her, whatever Yang was feeling was well hidden; she truly did want Weiss to make the choice.

However, despite what Yang might have guessed, she was completely sure of what she wanted. Her heart wanted nothing more than to stay. However, her brain and her instincts were warning her of the danger of defying her sister.

Winter had been something of an enigma for years, and Weiss could not figure out what she meant to her elder sister. Still, there was one thing she knew: Winter was serious about Weiss returning to the castle. The elder Schnee seemed to operate on militaristic terms, never really showing what she was feeling to Weiss. Here though, she knew that Winter was determined to bring her back to Atlas Castle, willingly or not.

She had never openly defied Winter or King Schnee, terrified of the repercussions of doing so. But, if she was to stay with Yang, she would be forced to muster her courage and do just that.

"Weiss, this is the last time I will say this: we are returning to the castle. Or will I have to strap you to the saddle and take you back by force?" Winter had witnessed the blonde brute whispering to her sister, no doubt trying to convince her to defy her beloved elder sister and stay. The whole thing left a taste so bitter, she nearly spit.

Yang rose from her crouch, but not before giving Weiss what she hoped was a reassuring smile. It was hard to tell if it was convincing or not, but she hoped that Weiss didn't see something that would sway her opinion unfairly.

For a long, tense moment, Weiss didn't move. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground, gathering her courage to announce her decision.

Slowly, but surely, she brought her head up, sparing Yang a quick glance before fixing her determined gaze on her elder sister.

"No."

Around her, everyone froze. The soldiers fearfully glanced at the eldest princess, who had not so much as twitched.

Yang felt her heart soar, but she couldn't dwell on the feeling; now was the time to figure out how to get her and Weiss away from the standoff safely. No doubt when Winter recovered, all hell would break loose.

Little did she know, Pyrrha's mind was racing as well. She hadn't expected Weiss to come willingly, but she certainly hadn't expected her to openly and brazenly defy the eldest princess.

Frankly, Pyrrha was happy that Weiss was able to escape the stifling atmosphere of the castle and see the world. It was incredibly enlightening and beneficial for the sheltered princess.

Still, she had a job to do, and in the search party, she was directly under Winter's command. Defying the elder Schnee was tanamount to suicide, yet a part of her was completely willing to sacrifice herself so Weiss could live her life as a free woman.

She would simply have to wait and see what happened before she made any life-changing –or life-ending—decisions.

After an incredibly tense moment, Winter's mind finally began to work again. She had expected hesitance –some light resistance even—but for her little sister to boldly defy her… it was no doubt due to the influence of her brute of a companion.

Her eyebrow twitched and her jaw clenched firmly shut. She felt her blood boil as she clenched her fists so hard, they shook. " _What…_ did you say?" she ground out.

"I… I said no," Weiss said, her voice a little louder and more sure of itself. "I'm not going back to the castle."

She stepped up next to Yang, lacing her delicate fingers with the calloused ones of her companion. "I want to stay with Yang."

The blonde couldn't resist the triumphant smirk that made its way onto her face. The look of furious disbelief on Winter's face made it grow even wider. Though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but rub her little victory in Winter's face.

"So she said, Your Highness. May we take our leave now?" Yang's tone was heavily laced with a smug confidence that only served to anger the eldest princess further. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but Winter had it coming.

"You dare to defy me?! You _dare_ to defy _father_?! You have had such an easy life at the castle until now. Why would you throw it all away?! For this _vagabond_?!" Winter bellowed, abandoning any semblance of self-control as the rest of the soldiers looked on in terror.

"Yang is _not_ a vagabond! How dare you say that?! And secondly, you think my life has been nothing but easy? Don't make me laugh," Weiss shot back with a hiss.

"True, when it comes to material possessions, I have wanted for nothing, but that is empty! It does not replace the lack of human relationships! You and I used to be so close, but as soon as you began your studies to take over the throne, you acted as if I didn't exist! Father treated me as nothing more than an annoyance. When he wasn't treating me like a failure, I was left alone in that giant, cold castle. That wasn't a home; it was a prison."

"I did that to protect you, Weiss!" At the scoff of her little sister, Winter plowed on. "If I had remained close to you and made any mistakes with my studies, father would have blamed you for distracting me! You would have been treated far worse than ever before," Winer shouted, throwing her arms wide.

"Don't you see? Everything I've done has been for _you_!"

Weiss barked a sharp, humorless laugh. "Do you hear yourself? You admitted how terrible father is! Why on Remnant would I go back to the castle to be mistreated by him? And whether or not it was all for me is irrelevant. You could have told me instead of leaving me in the dark to suffer alone!"

Winter faltered, but only for a moment before she renewed her efforts. "Yes, he is terrible, but you must return despite that. If word spreads to the rest of the people that you have disappeared, father will be forced to act to save face, and his attempts to drag you back will be far more aggressive."

She lowered her volume just a bit. "Please, Weiss. Please understand that I only want to keep you safe. Even if you don't believe me, I love you," Winter pleaded.

Pyrrha and the other soldiers nearly gasped. Never before had Winter shown this much emotion. There were glimpses of it along the way, but she generally kept her affection for Weiss well hidden. Clearly, the matter of her little sister's return meant far more to her than she had initially let on.

Now though, the question on everyone's mind was what the younger princess's response would be. All heads turned toward the youngest Schnee, eagerly awaiting her answer.

Weiss though, for the moment, had none. Winter's final declaration made her jaw drop, though in the back of her mind, something was nagging at her. The timing of the declaration was rather convenient, and she knew Winter's ability to engage with anyone was not to be taken lightly; she was a master of molding her personality to the tastes of whomever she was in conversation with.

It had certainly fooled most of the nobles that their father wanted to be on agreeable terms with. Frankly, it had almost fooled Weiss a few times as well.

Still… despite those suspicions, her sister's outburst had seemed sincere. Not to mention the fact that her icy demeanor had been thawed during their exchange. So, that left the answer to be one of two options: either her sister was an even better actress than Weiss had realized, or she was honestly telling the truth.

It didn't matter though; it's not as if the answer would change her mind. She had come this far, and she was not about to stop now. She would stay with Yang and no one –not even her elder sister—was going to stop her.

Finally she had her answer. She pressed close to Yang, who had been silently watching the exchange with awe. "I don't need you to keep me safe, Winter. I have Yang for that."

The brawler felt her chest puff with a bit of pride; she was indescribably happy that Weiss trusted her that much.

Quickly though, she realized that Weiss's declaration was probably leading them towards conflict. Winter did not seem like the type to take someone's word without any evidence of them being able to back their claims up. No doubt Yang would be forced to prove her abilities.

She scanned her eyes over the soldiers; most of them looked relatively easy to handle. The problem was not the common soldiers though, but the captain that led them.

Pyrrha Nikos exuded combat ability that rivaled Yang herself. There was something about her that made the blonde's instincts go on high alert. If it came down to an all-out brawl, the redhead would likely be the biggest problem.

The unknown factor was Winter. The girl had likely been trained to defend herself in some form or another, but Yang couldn't guess just how much training that would be. Still, underestimating an opponent could be a fatal mistake, so Yang would be watchful of the eldest princess.

After Weiss's bold declaration, it was Winter's turn to scoff. "What can one woman possibly do against fifteen trained soldiers and myself, let alone an entire unit should father get involved?"

"You would be surprised, Winter. Yang's abilities are not to be taken lightly."

Winter raised a brow. "Is that so? Then I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting her skills to the test. After all, I can't simply leave my little sister's life in the hands of an incompetent fool, now can I?" There was a distinct trace of challenge in her voice, tinged with a bit of smug amusement; she truly didn't believe that Yang could possibly defend Weiss from that many soldiers.

There it was. Yang's grip on Weiss's hand tightened a bit. If she couldn't prove to Winter that she could defend Weiss, there would be nothing left to stop the elder Schnee from taking Weiss back to the castle.

Weiss chanced a hesitant glance into Yang's eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been her brightest idea to assert how strong Yang was, but it was far too late now. The only thing she could do was hope that she hadn't dug her companion a hole that was far too deep for her to climb out of.

Yang met the nervous gaze of her ivory-haired companion with what she hoped was a confident grin. Even if she couldn't be sure that she would win, she would try her absolute hardest to do so. She wouldn't let Weiss be taken back to the castle after she had decided to stay.

The blonde took a deep breath. "It is as you say, Your Highness. Thus, I propose we have a duel to determine whether I am worthy of protecting Princess Weiss. If I win, you let Weiss and I resume our travels. If I lose, I'll have proven that I am unfit to protect Princess Weiss, and will place her back under your protection. Do you agree to these terms?"

She hated herself for putting Weiss's freedom up as a bargaining chip, but that was essentially what the duel was about. If she failed, Weiss would return to the castle and lose her independence.

She shot Weiss an apologetic look before steeling her gaze back to Winter.

"I will add one condition; if you lose, not only will Weiss return to the castle with me, but you will never be allowed to approach her again." The smirk on Winter's face was entirely sinister; she knew there was no way Yang could refuse, not if she wanted to keep traveling with Weiss.

The younger princess gasped. "Winter! That's not—"

"Very well," Yang said, cutting off Weiss's protest. She gave her companion's hand a gentle squeeze. Winter had forced her into a corner, so now all she could do was play by the elder Schnee's rules.

"Excellent," Winter said with a clap of her hands. "We shall hold the duel in Pesca, and of course, we will escort you there so you do not entertain any foolish ideas."

With a grim nod, Yang hoisted the dropped burlap sacks onto her back while the soldiers mounted their horses.

When the group was ready, they set out for Pesca, with Weiss keeping an iron grip on Yang's hand.

From her seat atop her horse just behind the two, Winter couldn't help the triumphant smirk that broke out across her face.

 _I'm looking forward to seeing you lose, brute. Just you wait._

 **Whew! Chapter 10 is done! I was cutting it close again because I have 5 things due tomorrow, so I was pressed for time. (A 30 minute group presentation in Spanish is probably the biggest thorn in my side at the moment) There was mostly talking in this chapter, but I wanted to set the inevitable duel up for next chapter so it could get the attention it deserves. Also, Yang's conclusion is similar to Weiss's as far as her feelings go: it's better not to think about it right now. She knows more about her feelings than Weiss does, but she still won't put a name to those feelings until their situation stabilizes. Anyway, good luck to everyone! Until next time~!**


	11. Newfound Pettiness

**Hello, hello! How have everybody's holidays been? Only mildly terrible? Mine were good, I'm pleased to say. No ridiculous family drama bullshit. Anyway, I want to thank everyone who has been supporting my work one way or another! It means a lot to me. I hope that all of you can enjoy this little present from me. Happy new year to everybody! Enjoy the chapter~!**

The trek towards Pesca wasn't particularly long -only about two days on foot- but with an armed and angry escort at Yang and Weiss's back, it felt like an eternity. Every step Yang took, she could feel a sharp glare attempting to burn a hole right through her back. She was sure that if looks could kill, she and her extended family would be dead.

Weiss could also feel a glare following her every step, though it was distinctly less hostile. Rather, if she were to put a name to it, "betrayed" was likely a more apt description.

Looking for a bit of reassurance, the two kept their hands clasped together, squeezing on occasion. It was a familiar gesture by this point, and it made them feel less uncertain for the future.

From atop her horse that was just a step or two behind Winter's, Pyrrha had a fond smile on her face. Weiss finally had someone she could be close with, and it warmed her heart to see that Yang seemed to reciprocate that affection. She was only a _little_ saddened that Weiss hadn't been able to trust her in a similar fashion.

Alright, if she were honest, she was really disappointed –probably far more than she should be considering her standing in relation to the princess.

"It's nice to see that Princess Weiss and Miss Yang get along so well," Pyrrha sighed quietly.

Winter seemed to stiffen beside her, turning an accusing glare on the redheaded captain. "And just what would make you think that, Captain Nikos?"

Surprised that her seemingly harmless comment gifted her such swift ire, Pyrrha scrambled for an explanation. "W-well Your Highness, Princess Weiss was rather lonely in the castle. From what I can see, she and Miss Yang have become quite close during their travels. Just look at them, Your Highness."

She gestured towards their joined hands with a nervous smile. "I think that is a good indicator that they are close. They haven't let go since we arrived."

Winter snapped her head down to stare at the dainty hands of her little sister being man-handled by the brute's calloused appendages. It was horrifying.

How had she not noticed that earlier? For how much she cared about Weiss, she was appalled that she had failed to notice such an atrocity sooner. She could hardly call herself an elder sister if she couldn't see Weiss's poor hands being crushed in a Beringel-like grip.

She had to put a stop to the horrific sight immediately.

She cleared her throat loudly, making Weiss flinch a bit. The younger princess knew that the noise was a preclude to something, and it was usually never good.

"I think it is time for you to release Princess Weiss's hand, peasant," she nearly spat. Despite her complete distaste for the blonde brute, she had to maintain decorum that was befitting of a royal. It wouldn't do for her to resort to the foul language and name-calling she so desperately wanted to use.

Weiss and Yang stopped before turning around, keeping their hands linked all the while. The younger princess seemed to fidget under her sister's gaze, though it was minute at best.

Yang however, felt a smirk make its way onto her face. Giving a quick squeeze of reassurance to Weiss's hand, she addressed the elder princess. "And why would that be, Your Highness? Is there something wrong?"

She may be under Winter's surveillance, but Yang was not about to roll over and submit quietly. After all, she had figured out that the elder Schnee was far more protective of her little sister than she had originally let on. If there was one thing Yang was good at, it was pushing people's buttons, and she had found the perfect one to push.

"There is most certainly something wrong, brute. You are crushing Weiss's hand in your barbaric grip. Surely even someone like _you_ can see she is uncomfortable," Winter said, gesturing towards her younger sister.

Weiss's head shot up. "What? Winter, I am perfectly fine! Yang isn't hurting me!" She knew Winter did not like Yang, but she was unaware of how… _petty_ her sister could be. Did she dislike Yang so much she was willing to start childish squabbles over it? What had brought on such unusual behavior?

Yang shrugged, the smirk never leaving her face. "So she says, Your Highness. Surely even someone like _you_ can see that she doesn't mind."

Winter had to hold back a hiss. The blond brute was far too smug for her liking, and each interaction left her eagerly counting down the minutes until their duel. She would happily put the blonde in her place the instant she got the chance.

However, for the time being, this was a battle of will and intellect. Winter knew the blonde had seen through the mask she had so carefully constructed over the years. She also knew that the blonde held a strong affection for Weiss, and would do anything to keep her away from anything to do with Atlas Castle. She would have to use that to her advantage.

She and the brute were having a battle that Weiss wasn't entirely aware of over the right to be the one closest to her. Despite being incredibly intelligent, the younger princess was rather oblivious to matters concerning herself. It would be paramount that it remained that way.

If she wasn't careful, Winter's standing with her sister could fall even further than it's currently abysmal level. She would have to tread carefully.

Schooling her features into the sharp expression she frequently sported, she went on the offensive. "Then you must be aware that as a princess, Weiss is to only associate with those of an appropriate standing. You do not meet that standard, and you are tainting her standing with your presence."

"Well, that would have been accurate at one point, Your Highness, but it's not really true anymore. _Princess_ Weiss renounced her title when she fled the castle. Basically, that means she is nothing more than a peasant like me. Isn't that right, _Weiss_?" Yang said, grinning. That little bit would probably effectively put her on the short list for execution in Winter's book, but it didn't matter. She would enjoy her little victories for all they were worth.

Before Winter could kill her companion, Weiss nodded. "It's true, Winter. I told her to address me as an equal, since I am no longer a princess." A part of her was proud that Yang was managing to hold her own against the elder Schnee, who was a notoriously crafty opponent.

Winter could feel her eyebrow twitch, despite her best efforts. The idea of killing the brute before their duel was becoming a more and more appealing option. If anyone questioned her, she could always say that the blonde was being insolent, and thus she was punished to the full extent of her crimes.

Still, she knew that if she did kill the brute, Weiss would never forgive her and she would lose her precious little sister forever. Not to mention she was sure the blonde would come back to haunt her as a ghost. The last thing she needed was a smug spirit following her for the rest of her life.

"Don't be a fool, Weiss. You are still a princess, and renouncing your title during your little adventure will not change that. You know as well as I do that you have to announce it to the public and the King's advisors before you can officially renounce." She took pride in the slight faltering of the blonde brute's smirk.

Weiss held firm, taking a page out of Yang's book and standing tall. "I will not return to the castle to formally renounce. As far as I'm concerned, if I never return, it is essentially the same thing as formally renouncing my title. It's not as if I can rule Atlas if I'm in Vacuo." It was a clever tactic to try to get her to return, but she would not fall for it so easily.

For a moment, none of them spoke, electing to convey their stance through glares alone. Pyrrha though, decided that it was time to step in and get the group back on track. It was not as if she was particularly eager to reach Pesca –she didn't want to fight Yang—but doing so would settle the conflict faster than standing around and arguing would.

She coughed politely, effectively cutting the tension and garnering the attention of the group. "I feel that it would be prudent to inform everyone that we are approaching evening. If we want to reach Pesca by tomorrow, it would be wise if we proceeded farther before nightfall."

Giving herself a mental shake, Winter regained her composure. "Captain Nikos is right. We will continue along the road until the sun begins to set. At such time, we will make camp for the night."

With a collective call of affirmation from the soldiers, a grunt from Yang, and a nod from Weiss, the group proceeded forward once more. In a bit of defiance, Yang and Weiss kept their hands clasped together.

A few hours later, Jaune rode ahead and found a clearing on the side of the road that could accommodate the group. As swiftly as they could as the daylight faded, the soldiers set up their tents and prepared a fire for dinner.

Weiss and Yang found a spot near the edge of the camp and settled in, dropping the bags and pulling out their leftover jerky.

As Winter and Pyrrha were about to dig into their own meal –a hearty bowl of stew—they noticed the traveling companions at the edge of camp. Winter in particular zeroed in on Weiss, who had taken a sizeable bite of jerky and was chewing on it slowly.

Without wasting another second, the elder Schnee hurried over, bowl still in hand. She would not sit idly by eating stew when her poor little sister was forced to have _leftovers._

"Weiss! Cease eating that _leather_ at once. There is plenty of stew for you over at the fire," Winter said sharply, sending an irritated glance Yang's way.

The younger Schnee looked up in confusion before she swallowed her bite of jerky. "What are you talking about, Winter? This is deer jerky, and it tastes perfectly fine. Yang and I have been eating it for a time now."

The look on Winter's face was a mixture of horror and disgust. How could Weiss –a princess—eat _jerky_? Let alone _old jerky_? The world seemed as if it had turned upside-down. Surely someone was playing a terrible trick on the elder princess.

"You mean to tell me you have been eating _leftover_ food for more than a day?" she asked slowly, terrified of the answer.

Weiss nodded. "That's right. It wouldn't do to waste food. And Yang worked hard to catch this and prepare it."

Winter was too shell-shocked to pay attention to the small smile Weiss and the brute shared. What had happened to her refined little sister who only ate the finest things Remnant had to offer? No doubt the brute had tainted Weiss far more than Winter had feared.

She had to act quickly before the change became permanent.

With a hard mental shake, Winter regained her composure. "Well no matter. You should eat some stew, which is far more nutritious and suitable for you. I'm sure your companion can eat the rest of the… _jerky_ on her own."

Weiss had taken another bite, chewing on it more deliberately than she had the others. "It's fine, Winter. Please, enjoy your meal with Captain Nikos."

Seemingly done with the conversation, Weiss turned back towards Yang and continued to munch on her dinner.

With an inaudible growl, Winter stormed over to Pyrrha, who had been quietly watching the whole exchange.

"This won't do," she ground out as she sat. "The brute has influenced her far worse than I had feared."

The redheaded captain elected to say nothing, instead favoring eating more of the stew. Winter wasn't actually looking for a reply, and thus Pyrrha decided it was better to not give her one, especially considering she felt Yang had been a rather good influence on the younger Schnee from what she had seen. She would probably be branded a traitor if she revealed that little tidbit.

The rest of the meal, fortunately, passed with little other fanfare.

* * *

After mealtime ended, the soldiers took out their bedrolls and climbed into their tents. Electing to save space, the search party had chosen to have the soldiers –minus Pyrrha—share tents. It was two people per tent, which was not unreasonable, but it was certainly more cramped than some would have liked.

Pyrrha, as the captain, was lucky to have her own tent, though it was the same size as the shared ones. Winter of course, had a much nicer and more spacious tent to herself, and had made it clear that once she was inside, no one was to bother her until dawn unless there was an emergency.

As Winter released her ivory hair from its bun, giving her head a small shake running her fingers through it, she spotted Weiss once again at the edge of camp.

She and the brute had built a fire and seemed to be rummaging through their bags. What was strange was that they had yet to pitch their tent.

She narrowed her eyes as she watched the brute roll out a few thick blankets and nothing more. She simply handed Weiss one of the sacks to use as a pillow before she pulled out her own.

Much like earlier, Winter hurried over to rectify the atrocity that was taking place before her very eyes.

"Weiss, do you not have a tent?" she asked heatedly, directing her ire at the blonde brute, who seemed just as irritated to have her barging over a second time.

The younger Schnee glanced down at her sleeping arrangements before sheepishly looking up at her sister. "No, we don't. It's nothing to worry about though. The weather looks like it will hold for the evening."

"How long have you been sleeping without a tent?!" Winter bellowed over her.

Weiss flinched. "Well, we've stayed in an inn for a few days…"

" _How. Long._ "

"… About two months," she rushed out, preparing herself for the fury that was sure to come.

"Two… months…? You let Weiss sleep without a tent for _two months_?!" Winter said, whirling around to Yang.

For once, there was no snarky comeback or smug gloating. The blonde at least had the decency to look abashed. "I haven't been able to afford one yet, Your Highness. I always ensure that Weiss is somewhere dry though."

"That means _nothing_! I knew you were a barbarian, but I did not think you were _this_ foolish," Winter roared. The rest of the camp could only watch in horror, glued to their places several feet away. Even Pyrrha did not dare to attempt to intervene.

Yang winced. She herself knew that Weiss deserved better, but her lack of a steady job had severely impacted her ability to provide the younger Schnee with much of what she deserved.

"Winter! That's enough," Weiss shouted, shooting up from her spot on the ground. Her hands were clenched tight and her teeth ground.

The elder Schnee was taken aback, unable to form coherent thought after her sister's outburst.

"What has gotten into you? How dare you talk to her like that?" A cold fury was swirling in Weiss's ice-blue orbs as she stared down her elder sibling.

"Yang has done her absolute best to provide for me and keep me safe. I refuse to have you insult her efforts. After all, if it weren't for her, I would be _dead._ "

A heavy silence descended over the camp. None dared move, except for Pyrrha, who slowly rose from her seat in front of the fire and hesitantly walked over to the frozen elder princess.

Winter's brain had stopped. Weiss had nearly… She couldn't even finish the thought. Dread settled into her stomach not unlike a stone, and it took a hesitant touch to her shoulder from the redheaded captain to jumpstart her once more.

"What… do you mean?" was all she could force out.

Weiss bit her lip, the memory still fresh in her mind. It had been a terrifying experience, and not one she was eager to relive.

Yang rose and took Weiss's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

The younger Schnee took a deep breath. "Not long after I went missing, I was attacked and pursued by Beowolves. I fell down an embankment and broke almost every bone in my body."

She glanced at Yang, giving her a grateful smile before continuing. "Yang was the one who found and took care of me. Without her, I would have surely died."

"That's why I'm grateful to her. She was there for me in my most vulnerable time, and I want to repay that. I want to stay with her and keep journeying across Remnant together."

Even Winter could not say anything to refute that. Weiss would not lie to her, and she most certainly would not lie about something of that magnitude.

She swallowed, though her throat felt unbearably dry all of a sudden. "If that is so… then you have my thanks, Yang."

With a shaky nod, she bid the two goodnight and retired to her tent.

Not a second later, Pyrrha rushed forward to embrace the younger Schnee. "I'm so glad you're alright, Princess," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Weiss returned the hug, burrowing her face into the crook of the captain's neck. "Thank you, Pyrrha."

Yang simply waited a few feet away, a warm smile on her face as she witnessed the long-awaited reunion between Weiss and her favorite person from Atlas Castle.

* * *

Weiss made sure to update Pyrrha on what had happened throughout their journey and reassure the captain that she was fine. Not long after, it was decided that it was time to retire for the evening. Frankly, it was a shorter reunion than either would have liked and there was still so much to discuss, but Yang assured both of them that they would be able to talk the next day, as there was still a long way to go until they reached Pesca.

With that small comfort in mind, Pyrrha thanked Yang and embraced Weiss once more before she entered her tent.

Before Yang could lay down under her own blankets, Weiss gently tugged on her arm.

"What's up?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Weiss shifted in place, refusing to meet Yang's eyes. "It… it might get cold tonight, so I thought it would be best if we shared blankets…"

It took Yang a moment to click everything into place, but once she did, a wide smile made its way across her face. "You might be right," she said, playing along. "It would be smarter and warmer if we did that."

With a pleased smile and a nod from Weiss, the two adjusted their sleeping arrangements so they would be underneath the same covers, much like they had been at the inn.

Weiss knew that Winter would likely object to it when she awoke the next morning, but for now, Weiss was content to enjoy the familiar warmth and comfort of her companion.

She had touched on a difficult memory, and she was glad to have Yang with her to help her work through it.

The two climbed under the blankets and inched closer to the other. It was warm, though Weiss felt that the warmth that Yang seemed to radiate was far better than anything a blanket or fire could provide.

"Goodnight, Yang," Weiss mumbled, feeling the tendrils of sleep tugging at her consciousness.

Yang pulled Weiss close, tucking the head of ivory locks beneath her chin. "Goodnight, Weiss. Sleep well."

Tomorrow was uncertain, but that didn't matter. They would enjoy their time together for as much as it was worth, even in their dreams.

 **And chapter 11 is complete! To those of you that were hoping to see the fight: I'm sorry to disappoint you. I thought that I needed to cover some of the in-between, since Winter wouldn't react well to Yang getting too close to Weiss. I hope you can enjoy the dumb shenanigans in place of the fight for now. It should happen next chapter as long as nothing else jumps out at me. This ended up way more emotional at the end than I had planned, but whatever. I felt it was important to discuss. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys watching 2016 die! Until next time~!**


	12. Duel of the Fates

**Hello, hello! How's everybody doing? Starting your semester off with a Yang? First off, I wanna thank everyone who has been following, favoriting, and reviewing! Anons included! Your support means so much to me and it pushes me to keep going, even when inspiration takes a day off. Secondly, the much-anticipated fight scene is finally here! I hope y'all are excited!** **(Anyone who gets the title reference gets a cookie)** **Without further delay; onward~!**

Sunlight filtered down through the trees surrounding the camp, and Yang awoke from it as she often did when she slept outside. The gentle chirping of birds served as a reminder that the rest of the camp would likely awaken soon, so there was little point in attempting to sleep more.

Weiss had curled into Yang's side, offering a pleasant warmth that made the blonde smile. It was nice to see the former princess in such a relaxed state, especially after everything that had happened over the past few days.

Judging by the small, contented smile on Weiss's face, her dreams were pleasant, and Yang was thankful for that; she knew what it was like to have a nightmare-filled slumber that left her more tired than she had been before she went to sleep.

When the wind moved a branch high above them ever-so-slightly, a beam of sunlight shone down right on to Weiss's face, rousing the girl enough for her to let out a quiet groan.

"Is it truly morning already?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Yang chuckled softly. "It is, but we don't have to be moving just yet. The rest of the camp still seems to be asleep."

"Then I'll join them for just a bit longer…"

Yang was sure after several moments of silence that the former princess had fallen back asleep, but she was surprised when she heard Weiss whisper, "Are you ready for today?"

"Hm? Yeah, I guess. We'll reach Pesca by the early evening if we maintain our pace from last night."

Weiss shook her head, her bangs tickling Yang's neck. "I meant… are you ready for the… duel?"

The blonde was silent for a moment, which made Weiss rather anxious; it had been her fault Yang had been forced into a duel after all.

"You said you wanted to stay with me, right? That you wanted to keep traveling together?" Yang asked after a moment, a hint of hesitation present in her voice.

Weiss bit her lip. "Yes. I want that as long as you want that."

"I want that too, but I didn't want to force you to make any decisions because of me. I want you to be free to do what you want. If you truly want to stay with me, then I'll be ready to fight whoever to make it happen." At Weiss's confirmation, the hesitance disappeared from Yang's voice, replaced with a firm and audible resolve that made the former princess smile.

"Thank you, Yang. I'm sorry it's come to this, but I believe wholeheartedly that you will win. Your determination is a force to be reckoned with, and I don't think Winter knows just what she is getting into," Weiss finished with a giggle.

Upon hearing the rustle of the tents throughout the camp, the companions knew it was time to prepare to leave. Just before Yang climbed out from under their blankets, Weiss wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and squeezed. Before Yang had a chance to process the contact –let alone reciprocate it—Weiss pulled away with a heavy blush.

Yang _definitely_ had to win.

* * *

The rest of the journey to Pesca passed quickly. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation; Weiss and Pyrrha's voices were the only things to break the tension. Beside Weiss, Yang kept close, maintaining a gentle but firm grip on her companion's hand.

She could still feel Winter's less-than-approving gaze eating away at her back, but there was far less hostility than there had been the previous day. It seemed that the elder princess had a grudging respect for Yang ever since Weiss's near-death experience came to light.

As Pesca came into view, the chatter had completely stopped, a thick, tense silence pervading over the group. Only the voices of the passerby seemed to fill the air.

"The weather has been lovely lately. One would be surprised to think that autumn is just around the corner," a young couple mused.

"There have been several Grimm sightings in the area lately…" others murmured.

"I haven't gotten this much stock in a while. The tariff on Valian wheat must have been lowered," a merchant said to his companion, his pleased tone having no effect on the group's morale.

As the party passed through the entry gate, the sun was slowly making its descent towards the horizon, though it meant little to anyone in town. There were far more people milling about or bustling through the streets than there were in Postres.

"There are far too many people here," Winter said, her tone betraying no emotion. "I suggest we hold our duel near the docks."

With a call of confirmation, the party cut through the town square, pointedly ignoring the stares of the people, including a girl with orange hair and blue eyes that twinkled with mischief.

As Winter had predicted, the docks were relatively deserted, with most of the work finished for the day. There was plenty of open space and the area was not commonly used outside of the common working hours; it was perfect.

The area for their duel was decided using various landmarks nearby, and the soldiers and the traveling companions went to the opposite sides of the square.

Winter and the other soldiers dismounted their horses before the eldest princess called out, "Let us go over the terms of the duel one final time. Captain Nikos," she boomed.

Pyrrha stepped forward, clearing her throat as she did so. "If Miss Yang wins the duel, she and Princess Weiss are free to resume their travels without any further interference from the search party. If Princess Winter wins, Princess Weiss will be returned to the castle and Miss Yang will be barred from further contact with Princess Weiss. Are there any objections?"

When nobody voiced an objection, Winter stepped forward. "Yang shall fight the search party all at once, as we are attempting to emulate a real situation that may occur. If she manages to defeat all of the soldiers, including Captain Nikos, she will face me in a one-on-one duel. Are you prepared?"

Yang gave Weiss's hand one final squeeze before stepping forward and nodding. "Let's do this," she called, readying Ember Celica as she did so.

Winter stepped back, allowing the other soldiers and Captain Nikos to take her place several paces away.

Before Winter called out the start of the duel, another voice broke in.

"Oh my gosh, Ren! This is gonna be awesome," a cheerful voice called out.

"Nora, we should leave. This isn't something we should be involved in," a reluctant male voice quietly said back.

"No way! This is way too cool to miss, Ren!" A girl with orange hair dragged a young man with black hair with a curious pink streak behind her into view.

Before Winter could shoo them off, the girl, Nora, whipped around and bellowed in the direction of the square, "HEY EVERYONE! COME PLACE YOUR BETS ON THIS DUEL!"

Her volume was rather alarming, and it forced everyone nearby to cover their ears with a grimace. Still, her call seemed to reach its intended audience, as hundreds of people quickly swarmed the area, placing their bets at Nora's behest.

"Just _what_ do you think you're doing?" Winter roared, making her soldiers flinch but having no effect on the targets of her ire.

Ren glanced over, sending an apologetic look towards the party but saying nothing. Instead, Nora, surrounded by betters, called out, "We'll give the winning party a cut of the profits, so don't worry about it! Get on with your duel!"

Yang spared a quick glance at her coin pouch; no doubt the odds were against her. Winning the duel would solve their financial issues in an instant, and she could finally afford a tent for Weiss. That thought heightened her focus and allowed her to block out the roar of the crowd.

She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears and Weiss's quiet encouragement. Everything else fell away, and that was exactly what she wanted.

Sensing that trying to shoo the spectators off or changing locations would be fruitless, Winter ground her teeth and turned back to the duel. "Very well," she forced out. "Begin!"

In an instant, the foot soldiers were on Yang, fanning out and attempting to flank her. Pyrrha hung back, waiting to see what the brawler would do.

Yang, not being one for waiting around, charged the nearest soldier, ducking low and delivering a powerful strike to his chin, sending him sprawling.

 _One down; 14 to go._

Two of the soldiers exchanged a glance before attempting to execute a pincer attack. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have been successful, but Yang was no ordinary fighter.

She sprung upwards with surprising height, sending a confident wink Weiss's way before delivering a dust-augmented strike to the back of both of the soldiers' heads, knocking them out cold instantly.

The remaining twelve soldiers stepped back, attempting to learn from their unfortunate comrades' mistakes. They exchanged worried glances with each other, clearly wondering about their chances of victory.

Yang though, gave them little time to think and charged forward, parrying a panicked swing of a sword and delivering a brutal strike to the solar plexus of the frightened soldier.

Weiss looked on as Yang battled it out, cheering for each successful block or strike and gasping for every close call. Thankfully, the blonde had yet to take any significant damage, but that streak didn't seem like it would last as Pyrrha rushed forward.

Yang had made quick work of a few other soldiers before bright red hair came into her view.

Pyrrha thrust her spear upward, grazing Yang's cheek as the brawler pulled back. Faster than the brawler could fully process, the captain whirled around and jammed the blunt end of the spear into Yang's gut, forcing the air out of her lungs.

The crowd seemed to gasp in shock. "Yang!" Weiss shouted, worry and fear thick in her voice.

Before Pyrrha could deliver the finishing blow, Yang rolled to her left, swinging her leg out and toppling one of the remaining soldiers. As quickly as she could, she knocked the back of his head with her gauntlet, bringing him into unconsciousness before he could process everything.

Yang popped up, giving a quick thumbs-up to Weiss before bringing her hands up in front of her face.

She kept an eye on Pyrrha as the captain fell back a bit, allowing the other soldiers to have their chance.

The remaining few soldiers, deciding that their best bet would be to try to overwhelm the blonde brawler with their numbers, charged her with all the grace of an angry mob.

Before Weiss could even blink, a barrage of dust explosions sent shockwaves through the square. One by one, the soldiers fell away, each falling to a blast of dust launched from Yang's gauntlets.

When one tall, blond soldier remained –his sword and shield held high—Yang took a breath, grinning a bit at the frightened young man.

He seemed to gulp in response, and elected to wait for Yang to come to him.

As Yang ran forward, a loud noise rang out, similar to the sounds of explosions Yang's gauntlets made when they fired. She spun with an impact to her right shoulder, barely managing to stay on her feet from the force of the mysterious strike.

She checked her shoulder; it was bleeding, but whatever it was had thankfully done little lasting damage. She gripped her wound and whipped her head toward the captain, who was looking down the length of her weapon, which no longer resembled a spear.

"What… is that?" Yang wondered aloud, asking the question that everyone else was pondering silently.

"A 'rifle,' or so I'm told," Pyrrha called from her position several feet away. "It fires dust like arrows in these little things called 'bullets.'"

There was no doubt in Yang's mind that Pyrrha was the one Weiss had referred to before. Only one person on Remnant made weapons like that. "You get that weapon from Qrow the Blacksmith?" she shouted back.

The redheaded captain nodded, a small smile on her face. "I did. I've never met anyone as skilled as him in the art of smithing."

Yang silently cursed her uncle for making such an annoyingly powerful weapon. She wouldn't last a second against Winter if she didn't take Pyrrha out quickly.

Not wasting any more time, Yang charged for the remaining blond soldier, Pyrrha's bullets following just a fraction of a second behind her. She pulled her arm back before thrusting it forward, launching a dust blast of her own at the young man.

He must have seen how Pyrrha's weapon worked because he ducked behind his shield, letting it bear the hits and force him back but a step. Yang couldn't let that stand though.

Getting low again, Yang darted forward, latching onto the soldier's shield and using it as a fulcrum to redirect her momentum behind him. He looked behind him just as Yang's fist came up to strike his face.

He collapsed in a heap, the blood flowing freely from his nose as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Yang whirled around, faintly registering a scream from Weiss before a bullet struck her in her left thigh. With a grunt, she dropped to a kneel, removing the orange scarf that was always wrapped around her neck and trying it around her wound. It would staunch the bleeding for now, but it was by no means a permanent solution.

"Yang! Yang, are you alright?" Weiss cried, her icy eyes brimming with tears.

The blonde brawler rose slowly, sending a wide grin to her worried companion. The gasp that followed told her that her eyes had probably shifted to crimson; her body had kicked into overdrive.

Preparing her gauntlets, she sent several shots towards Pyrrha, who swiftly rolled out of the way and returned fire.

Yang could tell that Pyrrha's weapon was far more precise for long-range combat, so she pressed forward with each shot, trying to close the gap as quickly as possible.

It was a tense exchange, each shot frighteningly close to hitting their target, but never doing any more damage than a shallow graze. When they were but a few feet from each other, Yang charged forward and swung her fist, aiming for the middle of Pyrrha's torso.

What she didn't expect was for the captain to draw her shield from her back and block the strike. It hurt like hell, but not nearly as much as the ensuring strike from the shield that smashed into her left bicep.

Yang staggered before she grit her teeth and used the momentum from the strike to target the captain's right hand that still held the rifle. She launched a dust blast that knocked the weapon from the captain's hand.

Caught off guard at the loss of her rifle, Pyrrha couldn't react fast enough to Yang's grip on her shield, which gave the brawler enough leverage to deliver her most powerful strike yet into Pyrrha's solar plexus.

As she gasped for air, Yang positioned her gauntlet right in front of Pyrrha's face. "I'd say it's over, Your Highness," she called, exhaling hard.

With a grunt of annoyance, Winter made her way forward. "Indeed it is."

When she reached Pyrrha, she helped the captain up, escorting her over to the edge of the dueling area.

All the while, Yang moved her right arm a bit, cringing at the pain that followed. Between that and her leg, the duel with Winter would be grueling. Not to mention the fact that fighting 15 soldiers at once was incredibly tiring; honestly, it would be a miracle if she managed to win.

Weiss didn't move from her spot, looking on worriedly. Yang was exhausted –that much was obvious—and there was nothing Weiss could do to help other than cheer her on.

At the same time, the crowd was become more raucous than before, though their cheers had morphed into something far less amicable. The money on the line had turned their cheers into shouts of gripes. As if in response, the sky darkened as clouds gathered on the now-twilight sky.

Yang clenched her fist as Winter made her way back to her side of the area; if she had been paying more attention, she wouldn't have taken so many hits. It was her own sloppiness that got her into this mess, but she'd be damned if she let it stop her from winning Weiss's right to true freedom.

Winter cleared her throat, drawing her dueling rapier from its sheath at her hip. "Prepare yourself, Yang. I will not show you any mercy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Your Highness," Yang said with a feigned confidence that did nothing to betray what she actually felt. She raised her fists as high as her aching shoulder would allow; it was going to be an uphill battle.

After confirming both fighters were ready, Pyrrha wheezed out, "Begin!"

Almost instantaneously, Winter was in front of Yang, her sword swinging upward across her body. True to her word, there would be no mercy for the exhausted brawler.

Yang crossed her gauntlets and lowered them to block, her shoulder complaining at the impact. She shook her head, redirecting Winter's blade away from her and darting forward. She meant to deliver a swift strike to Winter's gut to end the battle quickly, but the elder Schnee was prepared, twisting enough that the strike only grazed her side.

"I observed your fighting style as you dueled the other soldiers. I know exactly what you intend to do," the elder princess boasted, a venomous smirk marring her features.

Yang grit her teeth; as much as she didn't like it, Winter was right. It was time to switch it up a bit.

She moved in close to Winter, feigning a punch towards the girl's face. Fortunately, Winter fell for it, raising her rapier's pommel to protect her face. Yang seized the opportunity, delivering a dust-infused strike to Winter's sword arm.

The elder princess staggered, her arm dropping to her side. With a growl, she swapped hands, pivoting until she was in a proper dueling stance once more.

The blonde brawler rushed forward, prepping her gauntlets for another strike.

Seemingly effortlessly, Winter sidestepped her, whirling around and slicing diagonally across Yang's back.

Yang's armor did its job, protecting the majority of her back from the elder princess's blade, but the gaps in between pieces let small, shallow cuts surface. They stung, but compared to her massive scar crossing the opposite direction, they might as well have been paper cuts.

She knew that taking too many small wounds would add up eventually, so she decided to fight defensively for a while.

Enjoying her small victory, Winter closed the gap, stabbing at the blonde's already-injured shoulder.

Yang raised her gauntlets, deflecting the blow that was accompanied by the screech of clashing metal. She could hardly breathe, her lungs practically screaming as she warded off the elder Schnee.

Above, the clouds opened up, pouring rain down and soaking the battlefield in an instant. Those who had no investment in the duel quickly ran for cover, but those with a stake in the results only shouted more loudly, drowning out the patter of the drops on the cobblestone streets with their angry voices.

Yang brushed her bangs out of her eyes, wishing she had something to tie her hair back with. She was going to lose far more quickly if she couldn't see her opponent.

As if mocking her inner thoughts, Winter's voice came from behind her, "You should be paying more attention."

Needing no further warning, Yang dropped to the ground, nearly faceplanting as Winter's blade sailed high above her. She quickly flipped onto her back and swung her leg out, toppling the princess, who let out a grunt as her head hit the unforgiving ground.

She was skilled, Yang smirked as she disarmed Winter, but Pyrrha was a far better fighter. Clearly the elder Schnee spent more time reading about combat than actually practicing it.

The blonde stood and positioned her gauntlet in front of Winter's face, much like she had done for the captain. "It looks like I win, Your Highness," she gasped, though her wide smirk made her look far less tired than she actually was. She'd probably collapse as soon as Winter's party left.

The crowd erupted into cheers and roaring, some were joyous, while others were enraged that their seemingly guaranteed victory had been snatched away.

Winter rose, grimacing. "Very well. I… concede defeat. You have my word that you and Weiss will be allowed to continue your journey in peace."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Yang leaned in to whisper in the elder Schnee's ear. "I promise I'll keep Weiss safe and happy. If I break that promise, you can kill me."

"Believe me, Yang, I will," Winter whispered, the barest hint of mirth hidden under a layer of ice.

Not a second later, Weiss ran over as quickly as she could, nearly slipping on the wet cobblestone. As soon as she was close enough, she jumped into Yang's waiting arms.

Despite the vehement protest of her injuries, Yang spun her companion around, laughing heartily.

"I knew you could do it! I'm so grateful you did this for me! Thank you so much," Weiss smiled before pressing a kiss to the brawler's cheek.

Yang nearly dropped the former princess in shock, but managed to break out of her mental fog by giving Weiss an overjoyed squeeze, causing the latter to wheeze.

"Congratulations, Brawler," Nora broke in, carrying a rather hefty bag of lien with her. "Here," she thrusted the prize money into Yang's hands, "it's your cut of the bets! Thanks for giving us a great show!"

Before Yang or Weiss could say anything in return, Ren had come by and dragged his companion away.

"Congratulations, you two," came Pyrrha's voice. "You were a tough opponent, Miss Yang. I'd love to spar with you sometime."

"The feeling's mutual, Captain," Yang grinned, exchanging a firm but friendly handshake with the redhead.

"Captain Nikos, we are off to find accommodations," Winter huffed as she was helped into her saddle.

Breaking through the steady patter of the rain, an inhuman roar echoed through the city.

" _GRIMM!"_

 **And chapter 12 is complete! What did y'all think? I know I'm evil for ending it there, but I had to stop somewhere, and it certainly wasn't going to be in the middle of the fight. You'll just have plenty to look forward to next month! How was the fight scene? I have no confidence when it comes to writing fights, but I think I did a decent job. I just made sure to pick some intense music and go with whatever images popped into my head. Let me know how I did! Until next time~!**


	13. City Escape

**Hello, hello! We're up to chapter 13, and just a few days past the 1-year anniversary of AJAR! Can you believe it? I certainly can't! I'm proud of myself for making it this far, and there's still plenty more to go! I want to thank each and every person who has been reading my stories, and I especially want to thank those of you that have been following me since the beginning of this story. Your continued support means the world to me! Bonus points to those that get the chapter title song reference! Enjoy~!**

 _ **Warning**_ **: This chapter will contain some brief, graphic depictions of death. Please read at your own discretion.**

* * *

 _Chaos._

Complete and absolute _chaos_.

That was what Yang would describe the scene that was unfolding before her exhausted eyes as. Just after their duel ended, panicked screams had pierced the air around the groups, sending more and more people into a frenzied panic.

Yang would have guessed that their duel and all the people who were betting on it had attracted the nearby Grimm with their negative feelings. She should have paid more attention to the gossip of the travelers leaving the normally peaceful city of Pesca. Perhaps if she had, they could have moved their duel to a place where they would have had less of an influence on the townsfolk.

She knew that hindsight was 20/20, and that lamenting her actions and lack of attention would not truly help anything, but she couldn't help but curse herself for putting Weiss into such a perilous position.

She, Pyrrha, and Winter had quickly realized what was going on and hastened to rally their respective groups to action. While Winter was under oath to help the people as one of the rulers of Atlas –a fact that her father had seemingly forgotten about when he took the crown- Yang was under no such obligation. Perhaps it was heartless to abandon the townsfolk, but getting Weiss to safety was her number one priority, and she was in no real shape to fight anyhow.

Her right shoulder burned as she half escorted half dragged Weiss through the city, keeping the frightened former noble as close to her as she could. Between her right shoulder, her heavily bruised left arm, and her left leg, she was hardly able to walk, let alone nearly sprint through the hordes of fleeing townsfolk. The steady pounding of one of her burlap sacks against her back and the jangling of her newly replenished coin pouch against her hip weren't helping matters either.

In the pandemonium, she and Weiss had been separated from the majority of Winter's fragmented group, though surprisingly –or unsurprisingly—Pyrrha and two other soldiers managed to stay fairly close to them.

"Yang," Weiss huffed, her lungs having a hard time keeping up with their frantic pace. "What are we going to do?"

"We have to get out of town quickly," the blonde practically wheezed, her lungs screaming at her to rest. "The longer we stay, the more likely we'll die."

Though Yang couldn't afford to turn and look at the former princess, she could tell that Weiss did not like her plan. "What about the townspeople?" she nearly whispered, forcing Yang to strain her ears to hear the girl over the din of chaos.

"As much as I dislike saying this, our priority is to keep you safe, my lady. We cannot stop the Grimm with but a small group of soldiers who are already weakened from our earlier duel," Pyrrha broke in, her voice thick with frustration and bitter determination. "We will help who we can, but we… cannot save everyone."

Sadly, there was a logic to the captain's argument that Weiss couldn't refute. It didn't make the truth any less painful. Perhaps if she were a better fighter, if she were braver, or perhaps even just a bit less selfish, Weiss would have argued with them on it, but she was none of those things, so she silenced any further comments, shame gnawing at her exhausted mind.

They ran blindly through the streets, which were remarkably harder to navigate when buildings were reduced to rubble and fires were blazing out of control. Over the screams of the crowd, a horn sounding, alerting anyone who wasn't already aware that the town had to be evacuated.

The captain, despite losing her duel, had fewer lasting injuries than Yang, so she was better able to fight off the attacking Grimm than Yang was. She seemed to have realized this, as she took point in their impromptu formation; Pyrrha was in front, Weiss and Yang were in the middle, and two other soldiers took up the rear, trying to keep any Grimm from catching them by surprise. They did their best to defeat any Grimm that was in their path, but they could spare no energy to fend off anything else.

Their pace, despite their running, was slow. Weiss was not used to such levels of exercise, and Yang and the others were exhausted and injured. If Yang had been in better condition, she would have carried Weiss on her back and helped Pyrrha and the other soldiers fend off the Grimm, but she couldn't do that, and Pyrrha couldn't afford to be weighed down by Weiss when she was in the best condition to defend them. It was a no-win scenario.

When they rounded a corner, Pyrrha nearly ran directly into the open jaws of a Beowolf, which they found was alone –a rare thing to be sure.

Upon sighting new prey, it opened its maw wide, enough to swallow a small child in a single bite, before it let out a piercing roar.

The small party winced, covering their ears at the deafening sound, before a blood-curdling scream came from behind them.

The group whipped around, horrified to find one of the back soldiers had been snatched up by a Beowolf that had heard the cry of its companion. The soldier whimpered, his eyes glassy as a large canine was being driven through his stomach and protruding out from his shoulder blade.

With a sickening crunch, his spine was snapped between the Beowolf's jaws and he disappeared down the gullet of the beast, leaving not even a single drop of blood behind.

The remaining back soldier, a girl who looked to be just a year or two younger than Pyrrha, shuddered with a chill that racked up her spine. She could feel tears forming at the corner of her eyes, her heart pounding a mile a minute, and her palms breaking out in a cold sweat.

She'd been trained to fight soldiers, _people,_ but never Grimm. She'd heard tales of them, their existence being used to scare her many times as a child, but never once had she imagined she would have to fight one face-to-face.

Her nightmare had come to life, and it was standing before her, snarling at her.

She gulped, her eyes wide with panic, before she drew her sword and charged, the blood rushing in her ears preventing her from hearing her captain call out to her.

She swung her blade, managing to lop off the left arm of the beast. She let out a puff of air, relieved that she had managed to harm the beast.

Pyrrha, Weiss, and Yang watch in horror as the right arm of the Beowolf swung out, stabbing the soldier through the abdomen with a claw before slamming her into the wall, her neck and spine snapping with the impact.

Yang covered Weiss's eyes as the girl's head lolled back, her lifeless, empty eyes staring into the cloud-covered sky.

Weiss choked down the urge to vomit, holding a hand frantically over her mouth and desperately willing the images that danced behind her eyelids to disappear.

Yang wanted to soothe Weiss, but she had to stop the approaching Grimm, which had begun to surround them. She gritted her teeth as she glanced at the crumpled body of the female soldier, before she nearly growled to Pyrrha. "You take care of the wounded one. I'll handle the one in front of us."

Pyrrha only nodded, not trusting herself to speak, before she dashed forward, sliding along the wet cobblestones and stabbing the Grimm through the throat.

The beast let out a warbled roar before it disintegrated. Pyrrha noted numbly that the body of the male soldier did not appear, seemingly fading away with the Grimm.

She heard Yang defeat the remaining Grimm before she kneeled before the young female soldier, righting her neck and gently closing her eyes. She was by no means a religious person, but she sent a silent prayer to whomever was listening that the two soldiers had found peace in the afterlife.

Yang came up behind her, resting a hand softly against her shoulder. "We have to go," she said quietly, the pain in her voice betraying her words. Still, she was right, and thus, Pyrrha rose and they kept moving.

* * *

Winter was exhausted, her mind and muscles screaming at her to rest, but she couldn't; not when she had to ensure the safety of as many citizens as possible.

The remaining soldiers did their best to help, either directing people to evacuate, or to fight off the Grimm who were feeding on the panic. Jaune had taken on the former role, though his bloodied nose was making his voice rather nasally and difficult to hear. He was a rookie though, so he had little to no experience fighting Grimm, especially Beowolves.

The Atlesian military trained its soldiers for combat with as many different types of enemies as possible, but Grimm were only for more experienced soldiers, and even then, they mostly practiced on Creeps and Boarbatusks. Anything above that was only to be fought by the most elite soldiers, or the rare hunter or huntress.

All things considered, the soldiers were doing a fairly good job of fending them off, working in small groups to take out the most imminent threat to the evacuating citizens.

They had already lost a few of the soldiers, who had been unconscious at the time of the attack and had been unable to be roused. Winter felt guilt gnaw at her, but she knew that there was little that could be done about the situation; they had not been prepared for anything like this.

She slashed through the torso of a nearby Beowolf, its body disappearing quickly afterwards, before she shouted directions for the fleeing citizens.

Pesca would likely become a ghost town, its name blotted off the map and legacy scribbled into the history books as a tragedy of colossal proportions. King Schnee would not likely hear about the loss of the town for several weeks, and it would take even longer for him to find a new suitable place for such a lucrative fish mongering port. The loss of lives would mean far less to him than the loss of tax revenue. And the displaced citizens, well, they would be on their own.

Winter clenched her jaw. If she had to, she would build them homes with her bare hands at the soonest moment she could. No doubt it would be after she ascended to the throne; King Schnee would never bother with such _niceties._

She spared the briefest of seconds to glance up to the sky, a flash of lightning briefly illuminating her surroundings. She hoped that Weiss and Pyrrha were alive.

* * *

Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha had nearly reached the outskirts of the city to the northeast, which would lead them to the path to Ostlich Pass. It wasn't the most ideal direction to be heading in, especially considering the coming autumn weather, but they had no choice; heading back through the city to return to Postres was tantamount to suicide, and there was no guarantee that the Grimm wouldn't eventually make their way over to the smaller town anyway.

They had torn through several packs of Beowolves, passing hundreds of mangled and battered corpses on their way, which Yang softly instructed Weiss to avert her eyes from. She wished the former princess could have been spared of seeing all of the carnage, but there was nothing Yang could do; their time in Pesca would be a memory that would haunt Weiss for the rest of her life, plaguing her nightmares and startling her awake in a cold sweat. Yang would do her best to comfort her and help her through it, but she knew from experience that Weiss would have to come to terms with it on her own.

When they reached the path that led into the forest just outside the northeastern gate, they stopped briefly, peering into the tree line for any lingering Grimm.

Fortunately for them, it seemed the majority of the pack was elsewhere, so they took a moment to catch their breaths.

Weiss had nearly collapsed, doubled over and clutching her stomach as she gasped for air. She had enjoyed exercising in the castle, but running almost nonstop for her life was something that had been outside her expectations.

Her mouth felt like it was full of blood, and each heavy, gulping breath was plagued with a terrible urge to cough, though she feared that if she did, the raw lining of her lungs would rupture.

Yang gently rubbed her back, ignoring the pain in her shoulder that had worsened from a dull ache to a shooting pain, and instead focusing on soothing the itching in the smaller girl's lungs and providing the slightest bit of comfort in a situation devoid of it. Her lungs were hardly in better shape, but she had been pushed this far before, so she knew how to combat the pain and itchiness.

Pyrrha slowly stumbled over, her own breathing labored and her skin dripping with sweat. "What… should we… do?" she gasped.

"We should… head for… Mitte… through Ostlich Pass," Yang huffed.

The captain nodded. "And what of… Winter?"

"We should," Yang coughed, "send out a signal –let her know… we're alive." She gestured tiredly to Pyrrha's rifle. "How many… bullets you got left?"

"Enough to… spare one to signal." She gestured to Yang's gauntlets. "And you?"

"Same. We have to move as soon as we do. Don't want to stick around for Grimm to find us."

With a nod from Pyrrha, they prepared themselves to flee once more. Yang wished she'd had time to grab all three of her bags, but she knew there would have been no chance for her to keep them all; they would have weighed her down, and she was already exhausted.

She peeked inside as she detached her coin pouch from her waist and deposited it in the bag. Luckily, it was the bag that contained the majority of her and Weiss's clothes, along with the last remaining bit of deer meat. While losing the blankets was unfortunate, they were easier and cheaper to replace than clothing.

When they were satisfied that everything was in order (Pyrrha had nothing but her uniform and her weapons), Yang and Pyrrha aimed their weapons to the sky, firing off a single shot each.

* * *

Elsewhere, Winter turned her head up to the sky upon hearing the distinct sound of Pyrrha and Yang's weapons, spotting the explosion of dust in the sky. She breathed out a sigh of relief, glad to know that they, most likely along with Weiss, were alive. She could trust that the captain and the blonde brawler would keep her little sister safe.

With that comfort, she returned her attention to the battle and the last of the evacuating civilians.

* * *

As soon as the dust explosions faded in the rain, the trio fled the city and disappeared down the path towards Ostlich Pass.

They were silent as they went, both to avoid attracting Grimm, and to avoid discussing the carnage they bore witness to. It was the elephant in the room that none of them were willing to address so soon. It was a conversation for a later time, when their bodies weren't as heavy and their minds weren't as exhausted.

The forest was quiet –it always was when Grimm were near—save for the steady pattering of rain. It made the dirt road far harder to travel on than it normally was, but they had to push forward regardless; lingering would only invite Grimm to find them.

Pyrrha stayed near the front, her emerald eyes constantly scanning the tree line, while Yang stayed in the back, watching their rear and keeping Weiss within her sight. Weiss herself elected to keep an eye out for stray Grimm, but she knew it was little more than a formality with Pyrrha and Yang's experienced eyes doing the exact same thing. Still, she didn't feel as useless as she knew she was.

The sky to the east was beginning to brighten, if only a little, signaling that dawn would soon arrive. It served to remind the trio that they had been awake for nearly 24 hours and that they were most definitely exhausted. They would need to find a place to sleep as soon as possible.

It was only after several more hours of walking, when the sun was likely nearly at its apex, that they managed to find a small cave, just large enough for them to fit into a build a small fire.

As soon as they entered, the rain increased in intensity, and they counted their blessings that they had managed to find a place just in time.

Pyrrha removed her military-issued cape and began tearing the fabric into strips, wringing out as much water as possible before forming a small ring of rocks to start their fire. Any sticks they could have collected would have been soaked through, and thus unusable for a fire. Pyrrha wasn't particularly sad to see the cape go though; it was impractical for battle, and was meant to do nothing beyond look impressive.

After a few moments of trying, she managed to create enough of a spark to catch one of the strips on fire, though it was little more than an ember. She carefully blew on it, willing the flame to hold on and spring to life. With a second slight puff, the ember grew and began consuming the cape strips.

Satisfied that they would be able to warm themselves and dry their clothes, she instructed the other two to remove their soaked and bloody clothing and lay them near the fire.

Once they did so, Yang pulled out some clothes that had remained mostly dry after the onslaught of rain and distributed them to Pyrrha and Weiss, making sure to clean her wounds as best as she could without proper medical supplies before pulling on her own clothes.

With her wet clothes removed and her dryer ones on, Pyrrha shifted her attention to determining who would take the first watch while the others slept.

Though Pyrrha and Yang had both protested, Weiss immediately volunteered, citing that she wasn't injured, and hadn't done any fighting, so she was the least exhausted among them.

Begrudgingly, the two warriors relented, though they made her promise that she would wake them in an hour or at the first sign of trouble.

Weiss agreed, though she had no intention of following the former condition; they would need more than an hour of sleep after the massive ordeal they had managed to survive. She'd only wake them early if there was any sort of threat.

Pyrrha laid down opposite the side where Weiss and Yang were, curling up slightly and releasing a soft sigh when she felt the gentle heat of the fire warm her skin.

Yang curled up near Weiss, her head less than a foot away from the former princess's thighs. She slowly reached a hand out to softly stroke Weiss's hand, tangling their fingers together after a moment.

It was a comforting gesture for both of them, a bit of familiarity and normalcy after the chaos they lived through.

With a final gentle squeeze of Weiss's hand, Yang drifted off to sleep, her mind and body happy for the reprieve.

Weiss smiled softly at the sight before she gently brushed some of the blonde's unruly hair out of her face with her free hand, careful not wake her companion as she did so.

As she watched the cave entrance, the fire crackled softly, serving as an accompaniment to the rain that continued to fall heavily. She hummed softly, recalling a song about rain that her mother had taught her as a child, the words lost to time but the tune persisting.

It made her feel better –or at least helped her keep her thoughts away from Pesca. She would have to face what she'd done –or rather hadn't done—eventually, but it was something that she would put off thinking about until later. She wanted Yang to be there to comfort her when the time came, to tell her that everything was fine and she had done what she could, to hold her gently in her powerful arms that made Weiss feel safer than she had inside Atlas Castle.

For now though, she would continue to hum her tune, letting the rest of the world outside the cave fall away. The only things that mattered at that moment was her song, Yang's hand in hers, and Pyrrha laying just across the fire.

 _What will we do tomorrow? What will it bring?_

She sighed.

 _With any luck; peace._

* * *

 **And chapter 13 is complete! How was it? It was fun to write the absolute chaos that came after their duel, though I felt bad for the two soldiers that died during the escape. I know that with all of their personalities, it would be unlikely for Pyrrha, Weiss, and Yang to defend themselves and not help the townspeople, but they are exhausted, injured, outmanned, and mostly outmatched. Since they know they would die if they tried to save everyone, they would rather try to cut the losses to a minimum and keep themselves alive rather than sacrificing themselves, which would do little good overall. It's a hard choice to make, and it will certainly come up again, but for now, they had to make the most practical choice, a difficult one, but the most practical one. And for any gun enthusiasts who would point out that guns can't fire in the rain, dust operates differently that gunpowder, so it wouldn't be a problem. I hope everyone enjoyed and will continue to support me in the future! Until next time~!**


	14. Aftermath and Moving Forward

**Hello, hello! How're y'all doing? Chapter 14 is here! We came off of a really high paced chapter, so it's time to slow it down. It took me quite a while to figure out how I wanted to handle everything, but I'm fairly satisfied with how everything turned out. As usual, a huge thank-you to everyone who is supporting AJAR! Your love and support helps motivate me to keep going! Now let's get on with it!**

* * *

A few hours had passed since the trio had arrived at the cave, and Weiss had been content to let Yang and Pyrrha sleep longer that she had originally promised; they had been far more worse-for-wear than her after all.

The rain continued to fall as Weiss stared outside the cave mouth. If she hadn't been running for her life just hours before, she might have been able to enjoy the sight, simply content to listen to the rain drip from the roof of the cave and watch as the world was bathed anew.

Now though, it only served to remind her that Pesca was no longer a location on the Atlesian Kingdom's map –a mere memory that would haunt the survivors for the rest of their lives.

Weiss had been desperately fighting to keep the events out of her head, but each blink of her eyes only served to remind her of all the chaos and death she had bore witness to. Yang had tried to shield her from seeing the worst of it, but it was impossible to be spared from everything. There were too many fires. Too many buildings reduced to rubble.

 _Too many bodies._

Images of the two soldiers who had died trying to help her escape rushed forward, forcing her towards the edge of the cave mouth and mercilessly emptying the contents of her stomach.

More memories tore their way through her stomach and she retched again, tears freely falling from her eyes, screwed so tightly that one might think she would never be able to open them again.

When her stomach had nothing more to lose, she sank to her knees and wept, rubbing furiously at the tears that would not cease, painting clean lines down her soot-stained face.

She did everything quietly, so as not to wake the others. The sobs that threatened to tear from her throat were contained just barely behind gritted teeth. She clutched at her knees, gripping them so hard her nails drew blood. She didn't register the pain; the physical pain nearly snuffed out by the emotional turmoil that fueled her silent sobs.

As quiet as she was, Yang still stirred, sensing that something was amiss. She sat up, rubbing her lilac eyes that searched for her companion all the while.

It wasn't until she realized that Weiss's hand was not in her own that she heard the quiet sniffles and stifled sobs coming from the entrance to the cave.

"Weiss?"

Her voice was so quiet, she wondered if she had merely imagined speaking out loud.

The smaller girl started, her shoulders jolting violently before she lifted her gaze to meet worried lilac. Icy eyes stared blankly towards her companion, hardly registering that Yang was there at all before tears clouded her vision.

In a flash, Yang's arms were around her, ensconcing her in warmth that she needed and comfort she desired. The arms that were strengthened by years of combat and training were gentle as they brought Weiss slowly into her lap, further shielding her from the horrors that she had witnessed outside the cave.

Yang slowly brought her hand into Weiss's hair, carefully stroking through the girl's ivory locks.

There was nothing she could do about what Weiss had been forced to witness, but she would do her best to help her cope and work through her trauma. For now, she would be there for Weiss until the smaller girl was ready to move forward. What came after that was something to worry about later.

She pressed a feather light kiss to Weiss's forehead, gently brushing the girl's bangs out of the way as she did so.

"Sleep, Weiss. You've done enough for today," she murmured, pressing another delicate kiss to the girl's scar.

There was no answer, save for the faintest of nods. Weiss simply let the tears continue to fall, pulling her down with them into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Pyrrha woke a while later, stretching her arms and back as she rose. The twinge she felt throughout her body as she woke made her wince, but she expected to be more than a little sore after their frantic escape.

When she blinked her emerald eyes into focus, she noticed Yang huddled near the cave mouth, a sleeping Weiss wrapped up in her arms.

Yang seemed to notice her awakening, nodding in her direction but keeping her focus on Weiss.

Neither knew what to say; their thoughts a raging whirlwind that was only tempered by their need to be quiet.

Pyrrha stared out the cave mouth, watching the rain continue to fall. She idly wondered how Winter and the rest of their party had faired, though she knew that most of them would likely not have made it out alive.

"She'll never forget what she saw out there."

The captain jumped. Yang's voice was hardly more than a whisper, and she continued to run her fingers gently through the smaller girl's snowy locks; her gaze unwavering from her task. Pyrrha briefly considered that Yang had been talking to herself, but she realized that was not the case when Yang continued.

"That was the first time she's seen death, that she's seen what it means when Grimm attack. She'll never forget what she's seen."

She paused.

"It'll haunt her for the rest of her life."

Pyrrha's gaze slid towards the fire, uncomfortable with looking at the brawler. She and Yang had seen plenty of death in their lives, but that didn't make the destruction of Pesca any easier to swallow. The bile that rose up her throat was bitter, leaving her with a grimace that mirrored her mood.

"Every life that we witness being snuffed out haunts us. It will not get any easier," she said, clenching her fists. "Ever."

Yang nodded, her gaze still locked on the former princess. "I only wish she hadn't had to bear witness to it all." Her grip on the girl's shoulder tightened minutely. "I tried to shield her from the horrors of battle… but I failed."

"And what of the lives of the villagers? We had to leave so many behind, Yang. What about them?" Pyrrha's volume rose as her clenched fists white-knuckled.

"Don't you think I regret that too?" Yang hissed, her crimson gaze finally tearing away from the girl in her arms.

"It's hard to tell with the way you keep focusing on Princess Weiss. She was lucky today, but there were countless others who weren't!"

"I know that," Yang growled, her eyes alight with fury. "I know there were hundreds who died today! But there was nothing we could do, Pyrrha! We had no choice but to leave them behind. Do you think that was really the choice I wanted to make?!"

When she realized she was nearly yelling, she dropped her gaze and her volume along with it. "There was nothing we could do. We were both injured, exhausted, and outmanned. We would have died if we stayed."

She lifted her gaze, which had shifted back to lilac, up to meet emerald. "We did the best we could, Pyrrha."

The captain bit her lip. "I know. I'm sorry for ye—"

"It's fine. There was a lot to deal with and our emotions were running high. Neither of us are at fault."

Pyrrha sighed softly. "I suppose we can at least count our blessings that we're alive."

Yang's gaze settled on Weiss once more, nodding. "Yeah. If Weiss had…" She couldn't finish the thought. "I… I don't know what I would have done. She's… my whole world at this point."

She whispered. "That's why I was focusing on her so much. If I lost her… I don't know if I would have made it out of that town alive."

"Do you love her?"

It was a simple question, but it made Yang hesitate all the same. "I'm… I'm not sure. I care for her a lot, but I don't know if I want to call it that yet. Especially not when I just came out of a chaotic situation. I'll think on it more once things have settled down."

Pyrrha nodded. "That's probably for the best." She peered at Weiss, who had yet to stir. "For both of you."

They sat in silence for a while, content to let the other work through the events they went through on their own time in peace. The rain seemed to be lightening, though there was still enough to provide gentle background noise. Perhaps it would let up soon, so they could look for food and kindling.

* * *

"What should we do once we are prepared to leave? Heading back through Pesca is likely out of the question," the captain asked later.

Yang hummed. "What if we head for Mitte by going through Ostlich Pass? It'll be the safest place to go if we're looking to avoid the Grimm."

"I'll need to report back to Atlas Castle as soon as possible. Should we try to cut through Leben Lake and avoid the mountains altogether?" Pyrrha offered. She couldn't afford to spend too much time away from the castle; she was still a captain of the Atlesian military after all.

Yang shook her head. "Since autumn is nearly here, the water-dwelling Grimm will be out in force trying to get their last big meal in before travel mostly stops for the winter. We'd be better off avoiding water."

Winters were harsh in Atlas, and the heavy snowfall made travel nearly impossible. Near the end of autumn, people hurried to stock up on food before nearly hibernating until spring. Only the incredibly brave or the incredibly foolish attempted to battle the Atlesian elements during winter.

"Ah, that's true," Pyrrha hummed. She'd forgotten that autumn was when the most Grimm attacks occurred. They fed off of the worry of the people, concerned with whether or not they or their loved ones could survive the freezing temperatures. Once they settled in for the season, the Grimm had little to feed on, so their numbers dwindled. It was that desperation that made them more dangerous in the fall than any other season.

"Then shall we loop around the lake and make our way through one of the northern passes?"

Yang nodded. "We'll have to figure out which one to take once we get closer. The weather will be the deciding factor after all."

"That's a good point. We'll have to make the final decision once Princess Weiss wakes up," Pyrrha said before standing and dusting off her clothes.

"It looks like the rain has stopped. I'm going to go collect some kindling and see if I can find us some food."

With a nod from Yang, Pyrrha collected her spear and shield before exiting the cave.

* * *

Yang had begun to doze moments after Pyrrha's departure, but she roused when she felt Weiss shift in her arms.

Instead of burrowing further into Yang's embrace or letting out a soft sigh, Weiss continued to shift, though each movement was jerkier than the last.

Almost immediately, Yang realized that Weiss had not yet awakened, but rather was stuck in the throes of a nightmare, her shifting movements quickly becoming thrashing attempts to fight off whatever was haunting her.

Yang began to murmur to Weiss, assuring her that she was safe and that she was merely dreaming. She ran a gentle hand through the girl's hair while the other mapped patterns along her back.

With each gentle coax, Weiss began to slowly wake from her torment until her eyes shot open all at once. Her breathing was labored and her soot-stained skin was tinged with a cold sweat.

"It's okay, Weiss. You're safe. It's over and you're safe," Yang whispered, keeping up her comforting gestures and carefully pulling Weiss just a little closer. She was sure to watch for any cues that she should stop her ministrations. If Weiss became uncomfortable and wanted her to stop, she would do so in a heartbeat.

"It's okay. I'm here with you and you're safe now, Weiss. You're safe. Breathe with me, alright?" She inhaled for three counts and exhaled for three counts, continuing until Weiss's breathing matched her own.

"Good job," Yang said, placing a gentle kiss on the girl's scar. "How do you feel?"

Weiss yawned. "I feel like I hardly slept at all. But I'm feeling better than I was earlier."

"That's normal after experiencing such a traumatic event. I… hardly slept for weeks after I took my first life," the brawler said, casting her gaze towards the ground.

The former princess bit her lip. "How did you… how do you cope with it?"

"Time heals all wounds. It took a long time before I was able to come to terms with what I had done, just as it will take you a long time to come to terms with what you witnessed." She brushed a hand through snowy locks.

Weiss nuzzled into the contact, enjoying the warmth her companion always emanated. It was like a fire on a cold winter's night, keeping her warm and making her feel safe. Still, she knew that what Yang's warmth was fending off was most certainly not the chill of winter. "But… I watched so many people… die. Why was I one of the people that survived? Surely there were people who more deserving of living than me."

Yang gently gripped her chin, forcing the former princess's wavering icy-blue gaze to meet her own piercing gaze. "We don't always get to decide who lives and who dies, Weiss. Today, we were the ones that happened to survive, but it could have just as easily been someone else. There is no use in dwelling on what could or should have happened."

Her eyes softened. "The best thing you can do now is live on and carry the memories from your time in the town, no matter how short it was. People pass on, but we can keep their memories alive for as long as we draw breath."

Weiss bit her lip. "But the memories hurt, Yang. Even now they gnaw at me, haunting me with what I saw. When will I be able to overcome this? When will I be able to tell people what I saw without wanting to cry? When will I be… _okay_?"

Yang pulled Weiss's head to her chest, resting the girl's ear just over her heartbeat, hoping that the steady beat would soothe her. "It will take time, Weiss. Everything _will_ be okay. Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next week. Maybe not next year."

She rested a hand atop Weiss's head. "But it will be okay eventually. You just have to keep moving forward, and I'll be with you every step of the way."

Yang pressed a kiss to the top of the former princess's head. "You're not alone in this, Weiss. And you never will be."

This brought a fresh wave of tears to Weiss's eyes, and she let them come, allowing the sobs to rack her body as she clung tightly to Yang's shirt. Yang didn't seem to mind the tears staining her shirt, as she continued to comb through her companion's hair with her fingers.

"What about Winter? Do you think she's okay?" Weiss rasped, her voice thick with tears.

Yang chuckled. "She's a tough fighter, so she's definitely alright. She could probably glare a Grimm into submission if she wanted to."

The thought made Weiss giggle, though it was a bit warbled. "You're probably right."

They passed a few moments in silence as Yang held Weiss while the girl let her emotions out. When the tears began to slowly subside, the brawler leaned down ever so slightly.

"I may not have the talent you do," Yang whispered, "but my mom always used to sing this to me when I was sad."

She took a deep breath before singing a gentle tune, one whose notes were staccato like raindrops and rose and fell like a spring breeze. The lyrics themselves were playful, nothing more than a children's song about two friends playing together in the differing seasons, but they brought Weiss an immense amount of comfort.

After a few bars, Weiss joined in, humming a harmony and giggling at the antics the children got into. Her problems were by no means solved, but the song helped to ease her out of her own troubled thoughts.

Yang was right. She wouldn't be okay tomorrow, but she would be eventually, and she knew she would be better with Yang at her side.

* * *

Pyrrha returned an hour later with a bundle of sticks under one arm and three rabbits under the other, pleased to see that Weiss was awake and feeling a bit better. She and Yang had separated at some point and were enjoying the warmth the fire.

The captain set the sticks near the remaining embers, hoping to dry them a bit before they threw them into the pile. She had dressed the rabbits before arriving, putting the meat onto some sticks and setting them near the fire to cook.

When everything was settled, she addressed the other members of the group. "Why don't we take this time to finalize our plans?"

Weiss and Yang nodded.

"Yang and I discussed traveling through Ostlich Pass, settling for a bit in Mitte so we can recuperate properly, and then looping around Leben Lake and cutting through one of the northern passes. How does that sound?" the captain queried.

"Though I don't know much about the land, I think that heading for a town will be our best option. We need to stock up on supplies and such. And the idea of a bath sounds wonderful. If you believe Mitte is the best way to achieve those goals, then I accept the plan," Weiss said, humming at the thought of another warm bath.

Pyrrha and Yang nodded, exchanging a pleased glance. "Once we cut through one of the northern passes, we will continue to loop around the lake until we reach castle town, where Pyrrha will part ways from us," Yang added.

"I nearly forgot that you are a part of the military. You'll have to return as soon as possible, won't you?" Weiss mused.

"Indeed, though there's no telling how long it will take us to get back. Hopefully they don't presume me dead after a few weeks."

"I guess it's settled then?" Yang offered.

The remaining two nodded.

"Alright. Then I guess we'll set out tomorrow." She peered out the mouth of the cave. "It's almost nightfall already anyway."

"Shall I take the first watch?" Pyrrha asked, pulling the meat away from the fire as she did so.

"I'll handle it this time. You went out and found us dinner after all. Get some rest," Yang said, taking the stick of meat that was offered to her and taking a large bite. After spending so much time running and fighting, she was absolutely ravenous. She could eat an entire cow if given the chance.

Weiss, though no less famished, took smaller bites, savoring the taste of the meat with each one. There was really no comparison between dried and fresh food.

When the meal was finished, Pyrrha and Weiss laid down near the fire, enjoying its newfound strength after adding several sticks to it. The former princess reached a hand out to Yang who was sitting nearby, slowly linking their fingers together.

"Thank you, Yang," she whispered.

The brawler gave the smaller hand a gentle squeeze. "Of course. Sleep well."

The night would pass quickly and with little incident, and when dawn came, they would head out on the next leg of their journey across Remnant.

* * *

 **And chapter 14's done! This one was a bit hard to write. I wanted to find the right balance of emotion without being too dramatic. Hopefully I was able to hit that target. Of course, please let me know if it felt like it was too much. I've little experience with trauma myself, so I was doing my best to put myself in Weiss's shoes. Hopefully y'all didn't get too bummed out by everything. Next chapter will be lighter, I promise! Until next time~!**


	15. Setting Out

**Hello, hello! My finals are this week so this chapter is gonna be a little shorter than usual. Still, I don't want to leave you guys completely out in the cold, so I'll be posting a short Tumblr prompt I did for my birthday a few weeks ago. (You can follow me as MakaS0ul) Hopefully that'll tide you over for the time being. I'll make the next chapter longer than usual as well in exchange. As always, shout-out to everyone supporting my works! Y'all are the best! Now, onward!**

* * *

Weiss woke to the sound of rustling, the patter of rain that had usually accompanied waking absent as her eyes fluttered open. Across what remained of the fire, Pyrrha and Yang were looking through their belongings, seemingly checking through their supplies.

She rose with a yawn, stretching as she did so until she heard a slight pop from her back. Sleeping on a blanket laid out on grass hadn't exactly been comfortable, but it might as well have been a palace bed compared to sleeping on solid rock. Still, the cave, despite the discomfort the flooring brought, provided them with shelter from the rain, so she couldn't complain much in that regard.

Yang paused in her supply check, turning her head enough to catch Weiss's gaze with a small smile. "Good morning. I hope we didn't wake you."

Weiss shook her head. "It's fine, seeing as you both are already up and preparing to depart. If anything, I would say I've overslept."

"We have only been awake for a few minutes. You haven't missed anything of import," Pyrrha said, chuckling good-naturedly.

Weiss nodded, seemingly accepting the answer. "How are our supplies?"

At that, the warrior and the soldier grimaced. "We have your and my clothes, the last bit of deer meet, and our money," Yang grunted.

"That's it?" Weiss gasped. She knew Yang had been forced to leave two of the bags behind, but it still came as a shock to realize that they were down to the bare minimum of essentials.

Pyrrha nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so. I lost my horse in the chaos, which carried my extra equipment and rations. What you see here is what we have."

"With autumn coming soon, we will have to hurry. The mountains snow far earlier than the rest of Atlas, and with our current clothes and equipment, we wouldn't last a day." Yang's brow furrowed. "We'll have to reach Mitte by the day after tomorrow if we want to get our supplies and out of the pass quickly."

"We'll have to set a rather grueling pace then," Pyrrha murmured, her gaze flitting to Yang's visible injuries. "Will you be able to handle that? We won't be able to treat those wounds properly until we reach Mitte."

Weiss trained her eyes on Yang's, a fire in her eyes. "If you can't, then that's fine. We'll just have to slow our pace down." When Yang moved to protest, Weiss cut her off. "I won't have you dying on account of you being stubborn."

The blonde snapped her mouth shut, instead settling for rolling her shoulder and flexing her legs. She winced, though it was minute. "It'll be tough, but I'll live." She glanced at the captain. "Though I hate to ask, but would you be able to carry the bag? It'll make it a lot harder if I've gotta lug it around."

Pyrrha nodded. "Of course. You can leave it to me."

With everything settled, they finished packing up their belongings before extinguishing the remains of the fire and eating the last of the dear meat.

"Are we ready?" Pyrrha asked from the mouth of the cave, the burlap sack slung over her shoulder.

With a nod from the other two, they set out, sparing one last glance in the direction of Pesca before heading north toward Ostlich Pass.

* * *

The path north was far less worn than the path between Postres and Pesca, owing to the fact that few traders were willing to brave the passes for the sake of trade. The vast majority of the major cities and towns were to the west of the passes and Leben Lake, so there was little market to the east. Almost everything was produced by the locals, and they governed themselves like an independent nation, though the monarchy reminded them of their place every so often with tax collection.

With the heavy rains, the path, what little use it had, had become something of a bog, holding fast to their boots and legs. The whole trudge made Weiss incredibly thankful for the boots that Yang had thought to buy; her royal "traveling clothes" including her old footwear, would have long been destroyed by their arduous journey thus far.

While Weiss was having a difficult time, it was far harder on Yang, whose injured thigh protested with every step. Pyrrha had wrapped it with some of the remains of her cape, but Yang could tell without looking that the cloth was already being soaked with blood.

When the time had come to change her makeshift bandages earlier, she'd declined to throw away her orange scarf, citing it as something of a memento from earlier in her life. The other two had dropped the matter immediately, though Yang could tell they were curious. Perhaps she'd tell them some time in the future.

Pyrrha led the way, checking the skies and scanning the tree line frequently, aware that she was in the best condition to deal with any potential threat that came their way. She wasn't exactly in ideal condition herself, her muscles and torn and aching, but Weiss certainly couldn't fight, and Yang was far worse off than her, so that left her to take the lead.

They mostly walked in silence, save for their labored breathing and the ambient sounds of nature around them. At least there _was_ nature this time; total silence was never good in the forest, as that could only mean Grimm were near.

As they had discussed earlier, their pace was grueling, or at least as grueling as they could manage in the mud. With each minute that passed, Yang's grunts of effort were becoming louder and more ragged, signaling that they would need to take a break soon. They were making fairly good time, all things considered, so their progress wouldn't be hampered.

When they approached a clearing, Pyrrha spoke up. "Shall we take a break?" Two huffs of agreement came, so they moved off to the side of the path and settled against the trunks of the surrounding trees.

"Let me redress your wounds, alright?" the captain said, making her way over to the blonde brawler, who had propped herself against a tree, her eyes closed as she focused on regaining her breath. She gave a minute nod before Pyrrha set about her work.

She used the remaining clean bits of the used cloth to wipe some of the blood from the blonde's shoulder and thigh before discarding them and replacing them with new ones. She received a grunt of thanks before settling herself against a trunk of her own and closing her eyes.

When they had regained their breath, Weiss suggested that they resume their trek, though she made sure to check whether Yang was ready or not. When she was assured that there were no problems, the group set off again.

It was just past noon when a merchant's cart came into view. The wheels seemed to struggle in the muddy conditions, but the powerful horse pulling it didn't seem to notice, trudging forward with little effort.

"Ho there! Where are you ladies off to? You in need of supplies?" The elderly merchant said, his friendly smile and wave encouraging them to come examine his wares.

The sigh of relief was audible as they approached the man. "Yes, we need medical supplies and food if you have any," Pyrrha said, her friendly smile matching the man's.

He turned in his seat, rummaging about the back for a moment before pulling out some dried fish and fruit. "How about these? Winder berries and dried cora straight from Mitte's mountain rivers!"

"That sounds grand! How much for them?" Pyrrha chirped.

The man hummed for a moment, stroking his chin before snapping his fingers. "How about 20 lien? I'll even throw in some salt as a bonus."

"Excellent! One moment while I get the money." Pyrrha squatted, lowering the hefty bag from her shoulder and rummaging inside for the coin purse. When she found what she needed, she stood, pulling out the lien and handing it to the man.

He confirmed the amount before wrapping the fish, berries, and salt in a bag and handing it to Pyrrha, returning to his search through the cart.

"You said you were looking for medical supplies, right?" he said with a grunt, seemingly moving something heavy inside the cart if the thud that accompanied it was any indication.

"That's right. We are out at the moment," Weiss said, glancing at their bag.

The man straightened up with a frown, producing bandages but nothing more. "Sorry to say it, but this is all I've got."

Pyrrha nodded. "Very well. How much?" It wasn't ideal, but bandages were better than what they currently had. They would simply have to be careful until they reached Mitte.

He glanced at Yang's thigh and shoulder, wrapped in the remnants of Pyrrha's white cape, before shifting his gaze back to Pyrrha. "How's 7 lien plus some information sound? Seems like your friend's hurting over there."

The group sent him a grateful smile before handing him the lien. "What would you like to know?" Weiss asked politely.

"There are some rumors floating around about a Grimm attack. They true?" he asked, his brow furrowed. Grimm attacks meant a lot of death and a lot less business, and while it sounded shallow, he did have to make a living after all.

The three girls shared a pained look, grimacing at the memories of the tragedy. "Pesca was attacked and… it's been completely… wiped out…" Yang said quietly, her gaze trained on the ground.

"Wiped… out?" he muttered.

"We witnessed its destruction ourselves. Many people were killed by Grimm and much of the rest perished in the fires. There… likely isn't anything or anyone left."

The man grimaced. "There's no reason for me to go this way then. Might as well return to Mitte. Is that the way you ladies are heading?" When the girls nodded, he gestured a thumb to the cart. "I can give you ladies a ride for 40 lien. How's that sound?"

They exchanged an excited glance before nodding, handing him the lien, and hopping onto the back of the cart. "What is your name?" Weiss asked, making sure that Yang was propped against the side of the cart with her leg extended properly.

"Wertz. And you ladies?"

"I am Weiss, and this is Pyrrha and Yang. Thank you for giving us a ride, Mr. Wertz."

"Just 'Wertz' is fine. Now hang on tight; the road's pretty bumpy with all this mud."

With a flick of the reigns, the horse set off, turning in a wide arc and heading back towards Mitte. They would make their timeline for sure now. All they had to do was wait.

* * *

 **And done! I know this is really short and I'm sorry, but like I said above, I'll make it up to you guys! By the way, I made the merchant's name 'Wertz' because it sounded like a vaguely German word, and as it turns out, it means "value" which is honestly rather fitting for a merchant. I had to laugh. I've got some miscellaneous notes below. Until next time~!**

 **Notes:**

 **Mitte (Taken from the German word for "Middle"): A tiny town located between two mountain ranges on Ostlich Pass. Many rivers run through the town, allowing them easy access to clean water and fresh fish. There are many inns in the town for those who get stuck between mountain ranges due to weather.**

 **Winder Berries: Wild berries that are found growing high up on mountains. Due to the difficulty of getting them, they are rather expensive outside of mountain towns.**

 **Coro: Fish that are native to the rivers of Mitte. They have a fast breeding cycle, allowing them to maintain their numbers. It's a staple of Mitte cuisine.**


	16. Mangrove Heaven

**Hello, hello! The last chapter was short, but as I promised, this one's a bit longer than usual. I managed to pass all of my classes with decent grades, though one of them was due in part to some ass-kissing. It worked though, so I'd call that a win! Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone who has continued to support myself and AJAR! You're all wonderful! Now, onward!**

* * *

Wertz's cart rattled along the muddy road, the powerful horse in front giving no indication that it was struggling with the less than ideal conditions. In fact, it made so little noise, one would almost think it was dead, though the occasional snort from the animal's snout dismissed that thought idly.

Pyrrha kept her eyes trained on the surrounding forest, while Weiss bided her time keeping an eye on Yang and her injuries, which continued to soak through the bandages. Weiss wished that Wertz had had a salve or ointment of some sort with him, but luck seemed to have been eluding them as of late.

After an hour or so in silence, Wertz cleared his throat. "What brought you ladies out to Pesca if you don't mind my asking? How'd you meet?" He eyed Pyrrha's imperial armor, gleaming in the trademark white and blue that was easily recognizable as property of the Atlesian military, before his gaze flicked to Weiss's clothes and Yang's armor. They certainly were a mismatched bunch.

Unbeknownst to Wertz, his simple question had sparked something of a panic among his passengers, namely Pyrrha. "What do I tell him?!" she whispered, careful to keep her voice quiet and hoping that Wertz's hearing befitted a man of his age.

Weiss bit her lip, nothing convincing coming to her mind.

Yang grunted from her spot, her eyes closed. "Just tell him that you were stationed in Pesca. Weiss and I are travelers; nothing more. He'll have no reason to doubt our stories."

Pyrrha nodded, though a conflicted look flitted across her face. She hated lying, but she couldn't simply tell him the truth either; Weiss's flight from the castle was top secret, and the fewer people that knew, the better.

She coughed into her fist. "I was stationed in Pesca before the attack started."

Yang spoke up next. "Weiss and I were traveling through town to enjoy the fish market when we got caught up in the mess. We ran into Pyrrha during the chaos and worked together to escape."

Wertz nodded, a quiet breath pushing past his cracked lips with a hum. "You ladies are lucky to be alive. I've lived through three major Grimm attacks, but I've seen exactly what happens to those that aren't so lucky."

He pursed his lips, lifting his tired eyes to the overcast sky. It would likely rain again soon, as it often did on this side of the mountains. "Even the ones who live don't get away without some scars; physical and mental."

A wrinkled hand reached down underneath the collar of his worn shirt before pulling out a necklace, the green jewel and the end of the cord glinting in the light of day. His thumb brushed over it tenderly. "My wife was one of the unlucky ones the second time around."

Weiss's gaze slid to her mud-caked boots, while Yang's hands fidgeted in her lap. His story was a little too close for comfort. Pyrrha was the only one who could bring herself to say something, her emerald eyes shining with sympathy. "Wertz, I'm so sorry."

"Ah, don't be," he said, returning the necklace to its rightful place. "It was a long time ago; I've made my peace with it." He leaned back just a bit, catching Pyrrha's gaze out of the corner of his eyes. "Your eyes are the same color as hers. Seeing them just made me a bit sentimental is all."

Pyrrha nodded, though her eyes betrayed her troubled thoughts.

Wertz chuckled good-naturedly. "You're a good kid. You've got a real nice heart, and that'll take you far, even in a world like ours." He gestured toward his three passengers. "Why don't you ladies get some rest? I'd say you've earned it after what you've been through."

When they moved to protest, he waved them off. "I'll keep an eye out and wake you if anything shows up, alright? Just relax while you've got the chance."

The three exchanged a brief glance before Pyrrha spoke. "Very well. We'll take you up on your offer, but be sure to wake us up immediately if something feels off."

"Yeah, yeah. Will do. Now get some shut-eye."

Pyrrha settled in across from Yang, pulling some of the blanket that covered Wertz's goods over her frame. With a yawn, she closed her eyes, willing herself into a light slumber.

Weiss made sure to check the condition of Yang's bandages and injuries once more before pulling the large blanket over both of their frames. She was careful not to jostle Yang as she settled into her place, keeping a few inches in between them.

She had closed her eyes for all of a minute before she felt a nudge to her shoulder. She blinked them open to find Yang looking at her, the hand that nudged her hanging in the air.

"What's the matter, Yang? Is something wrong? Are you in pain?" Weiss said, her mind already working to figure out a solution to the potential problems.

The blonde shook her head. "No, everything's fine. I'm not in pain or anything like that."

"Then what's the matter?" Weiss asked, her head tilted in curiosity.

"Are you cold?"

Weiss blinked. "Am I… cold?" When her companion nodded, Weiss furrowed her brow. "Perhaps a little. Why do you ask?"

That seemed to bring a smile to Yang's face. "Well, I was thinkin' that I'm always warm, so if you're cold, I could warm you up. How's that sound?"

Weiss felt heat rising to her cheeks, though she did her best to push the feeling down. "Well, I… I… But what about your injuries?"

The blonde waved her off. "No worries! You sit to my left and you won't have to worry about leaning into my injured shoulder." When Weiss moved to protest, Yang held up a finger. "As long as you don't sit on my leg, it'll be fine. So whaddaya say?"

Yang opened her arms, silently inviting Weiss to slide into place, which she did slowly, purposefully ignoring the heat in her cheeks that refused to abate. With a grin, Yang slid her arm around Weiss's shoulders, gently coaxing the smaller girl closer to her.

The feeling of Yang's comforting and ever-present warmth lulled Weiss into a more relaxed state, and she found herself sliding further into the other girl's embrace; the powerful arm –capable of hefting things twice her size with ease- that wrapped around her made her feel far more safe and comfortable than a thousand guards defending her royal bedchamber ever could.

The familiarity of being close to Yang brought Weiss closer and closer to sleep, but she made sure to remind the brawler that she needed more rest than Weiss, and that she should hurry and get some sleep as well. The brawler chuckled in response before closing her eyes and following Weiss and Pyrrha into dreamland.

Wertz looked over his shoulder to find his passengers sound asleep, and a quiet chuckle passed through his lips. They seemed like a mismatched bunch at first glance, but anyone could tell by looking at them now that they were incredibly close. He sent a silent prayer to the sky that they would have safe travels after they parted ways before turning his attention back to the muddy road ahead.

* * *

The three girls woke to the sound of a shout, the panicked voice belonging to Wertz. " _Wake up!_ There's an _Ursa!"_

Yang cursed under her breath, scrambling up as quickly as she could, only to wince at the sharp pain that came with the action. Ursa were distinct, so there was almost no chance that Wertz was mistaken. In fact, the only thing the old merchant had mistaken was that it wasn't just an Ursa, but an Ursa Major.

 _Perfect._

She could take down an Ursa fairly easily when she was _un_ injured, but the combination of her injury -which didn't seem to be getting any better—and the lingering exhaustion that came with a lack of good sleep would make this fight nearly impossible. If Pyrrha wasn't there to back her up…

The captain herself was retrieving her weapon and shield, fixing it into its rifle form. The Ursa was about a hundred feet ahead, and seemed to have noticed them, its soulless gaze locked onto them.

She could feel the lingering exhaustion and the telltale pain that came with severely injured muscles, but she'd have to ignore it, especially since Yang was worse off than her. She bit her lip. The fight would be absolutely brutal.

Weiss knew she was scared; the cold sweat forming on her skin and the rapid beating of her heart told her as much. But at the same time, she felt strangely calm. Even _she_ was concerned by how calm she was. Perhaps she had passed the point of screaming terror and into something else.

No matter the reason, she knew that it was better to be calm in a situation like this. For now, she would push the matter aside and focus on the impending threat; not only the Ursa, but the thought process of Yang Xiao Long. A feeling in Weiss's gut told her that Yang was likely to do something stupid in this dire circumstance, and if that really was her plan, Weiss was going to give her the scolding of her life.

The Ursa roared, frightening a flock of birds that had remained in the area and making Wertz whimper. It lowered to all-fours, preparing to charge over.

Yang clicked her tongue as she hopped down from the wagon, clicking her gauntlets into place as she did so; now was not the time to be conservative with her dust bullets. "We have the _absolute worst_ luck."

When Pyrrha joined her in front of the horse, Yang turned and gestured at the frightened merchant. "Back the cart up. I don't want you and Weiss getting dragged into the mess on accident."

She and Pyrrha exchanged a knowing glance; with everything seemingly working against them, there was a good chance that they would have to flee if the opportunity arose. Battles with Ursai were all about stamina, and at the moment, they had none.

Yang pointed at Wertz once more. "Be ready to go when we tell you. We might have to hit and run." The old merchant trembled but nodded shakily. "Good. Now back up and wait."

Before Wertz did as instructed, Weiss hopped down from the wagon, her boots splashing into the mud on landing, before rushing over to Yang and grabbing her hands. "Be careful, Yang. _Please._ " Her voice was so quiet, so thick with emotion, Yang nearly missed her companion's words.

The brawler squeezed the smaller girl's hands gently, coaxing her gaze up to meet lilac. "I'll do my best. But…" she glanced away for a moment. "If things start looking bad… leave me behind."

"Yang! It's coming," Pyrrha shouted, her rifle firing off dust bullets as quickly as the captain could pull the trigger.

"Promise me, Weiss," Yang said, mentally counting the thundering steps of the Ursa. She only had a few seconds until it was on them.

"I absolutely _won't_ do that! I'm not leaving anybody behind," Weiss shouted, the emotions she had been forcing down rushing forth, surprising Yang with anger instead of the sadness and desperation she expected. "And if you're thinking of doing something stupidly heroic, you can forget it! I'll get you out of here alive even if I have to rip that Grimm in half!"

She spun Yang around to face the oncoming Ursa before giving her a push. "Now stop thinking foolish thoughts and get that Ursa!"

As soon as she finished her speech, she sprinted back to the wagon, which had already backed up a few hundred feet. "Don't you dare die, Yang Xiao Long," she shouted once she had jumped into the back of the wagon. "And the same goes for you, Pyrrha Nikos! You both are getting out of this fight alive or so help me I will drag you out of hell myself!"

If the Ursa hadn't been five feet away, the captain and brawler probably would have laughed. They both knew what it meant to earn Weiss's ire, and neither one had an interest in experiencing it for themselves. They had no choice but to do _exactly_ as the former princess demanded.

The Ursa nearly bowled Pyrrha over, stopping short when it received a dust bullet from Yang's gauntlet right to its face. It reared back, pawing at its face before roaring once more and swiping at its attackers.

Pyrrha jumped back while Yang rolled out of the way, ensuring that her good shoulder took the force of the movement. Pyrrha resumed firing while Yang circled around and blasted the Grimm from the back.

Their attacks were certainly hitting, but they weren't doing much damage thanks to the Ursa Major's thick armor. Really, of all the Grimm wandering about, they just _had_ to run into an Ursa Major. Yang cursed their absolutely horrendous luck.

Seemingly fed up with the attacks, the Ursa roared, bringing its front paws above its head and slamming into the ground, sending a rippling shockwave straight for Pyrrha.

The captain barely had time to react before she was sent flying backwards, the shockwave knocking her away like an insect.

"Pyrrha! Shit," Yang shouted, firing even more dust blasts at the Ursa's back, hoping to get its attention away from the captain. She circled around, keeping up a barrage of blasts as she worked her way into Pyrrha's earlier position.

The smell of dust and mud were thick in the air as she ignored the sharp pains in her shoulder and thigh. Running around through the thick mud sapped her of her energy far faster than she had anticipated, and she had lost count of how many dust blasts she had launched, the burning in her shoulder telling her that it was far more than she should be doing.

Pyrrha, after flying several feet backwards, slid through the mud upon landing, which cushioned her fall, if only slightly. The force of the initial attack had knocked the air out of her lungs, and she swore she heard something crack. She took a breath, wheezing when she felt a sharp pain in her ribs.

The captain gingerly touched her ribs, wincing when touched a rib along her left side. If she was lucky, the rib would stay in place and she wouldn't pierce her lung.

She staggered to her feet, shaking off some of the mud that clung to her boots and looking up just in time to see Yang get hit by a swipe of the Ursa's paw, sending her sprawling.

The blonde rolled upon hitting the ground before sliding to a stop alongside the captain, facing up to the sky, a pained look marring her features. Across her torso was a large gash, the blood pouring freely from it created by the Ursa's claws slicing their way through her armor.

Pyrrha crouched down, inspecting the wound as quickly as she could. "Your armor took the brunt of it, so the wound isn't that deep. Still, coupled with your shoulder and thigh that are still bleeding, you could very well die of blood loss at this rate."

Yang sat up slowly, wincing as she did so. "We've gotta get out of here. There's no way we're gonna take this thing down as we are."

"Agreed," Pyrrha said, assisting Yang in rising but keeping her eye on the Ursa, which had resumed pawing at its face. "What should we do? We can't escape without at least temporarily stopping the Ursa."

Yang paused, watching the Ursa continuing to paw at its face. "I must've gotten it pretty good in the face there. See how it keeps trying to touch its face? What if we hit that?"

Pyrrha's eyes lit up. "That might work! I'll start shooting it, but you'll have to be the one to hit it, since your dust bullets seem to have more power at a close distance."

Yang nodded before glancing over to the wagon, Weiss and Wertz standing by. A lopsided grin spread across her face. "Can you hit a moving target?"

"Of course."

"Then can you hit a target while _you're_ moving?"

That gave Pyrrha pause. "Yes… What are you planning?"

Yang beckoned the captain close, whispering in her ear with a huge grin. She pulled back. "What do you think? Can we do it?"

"That sounds absolutely crazy, but I think we just might be able to do it," Pyrrha said, a small smile on her own face, though there was lingering disbelief.

"Alright! Then let's do it," Yang shouted before whipping around and shouting for Wertz. "It's time to go! Get that wagon moving!"

"Are you crazy?!" the old merchant shouted. "That Ursa's still conscious! It will attack us the minute we get close!"

"Just trust her," Pyrrha shouted back. "We have a plan!"

When Wertz hesitated, Weiss huffed loudly before pushing the man aside and plopping into his former place, taking the reins from his wrinkled hands. "If you won't do it, then I will," she hissed, before spurring the horse towards the two warriors.

Weiss had ridden horses before –such was a necessary skill for a princess of Atlas—but she had never driven a cart before. She wasn't completely sure of what she was doing, but that mattered little when Pyrrha and Yang's lives were on the line. She would just have to do her best, and for Weiss Schnee, her best was pretty damn good.

As soon as the cart was near, Pyrrha and Yang dove into the bed of the wagon, ignoring the pain that came with their landing. They righted themselves quickly, Pyrrha taking up her position and firing.

Yang took up her position near the back end of the cart, readying herself before shouting to Weiss. "Go left around it! Don't stop no matter what!"

Another spur of the horse was her answer, and that was enough. She could trust Weiss to take care of her job.

Pyrrha continued her assault as they approached, and each shot irritated the Ursa further, prompting the Grimm to ignore the pain in its face for a moment until its attackers could be dealt with.

It let loose an ear-splitting roar, forcing Wertz to cover his ears. None of the others had that luxury however, each entirely focused on their task. Certainly, their ears would be ringing for a while afterwards, but that wouldn't matter if they died here.

"Keep it up," Yang shouted. "Almost there!"

The horse's hooves dug through the mud, desperately pulling the cart as fast as it could. The muddy pathway pushing the animal harder than normal, though even it knew that slowing down would mean death.

When the Ursa prepared to swipe at the oncoming wagon, Yang shouted, " _GET DOWN!"_

Weiss and Wertz ducked from the front of the wagon, a scream coming from Wertz, while Pyrrha dropped to the floor completely, ignoring the protest from her ribs.

Yang pulled back her arm, practically roaring as she let loose a blast of dust about a foot from the Ursa's face, causing the beast to topple over.

She cheered, laughing loudly as the others joined her, their joy and relief infectious. She pulled Pyrrha into a hug, followed by Wertz, and then Weiss, who was still spurring the horse forward until they were a safe distance away.

"I can't believe we did it! I can't believe that worked," she laughed as she collapsed onto the floor of the cart, relief suffusing her system as she came down from her adrenaline high.

"Honestly, I can't believe it either. I am truly surprised we are still alive," Pyrrha said, lowering herself into a sitting position slowly.

"Hey, sometimes you gotta take risks! This one happened to pay off," Yang said as she pressed a bundle of cloth to the gash in her chest, wincing as she did so. "This is gonna seriously hurt in a few minutes."

Wertz coaxed the reins from Weiss's hands, sliding back into his place once Weiss had climbed into the back of the wagon. "You ladies are some of the craziest people I have ever met," he sighed, exasperation exuding from his tired frame. He had likely aged several years from the stress of the last twenty minutes alone.

"I won't deny that," Yang said with another laugh.

"I will," Weiss said with a huff, taking the cloth from Yang's hands and applying pressure to the gash herself. "What they did was the best option given the circumstances. What would have been crazy would be to continue to fight that Ursa until you dropped dead."

She sent an icy glare to the back of Wertz's head. "And the next time you get into a situation like that, don't you dare freeze up. You're lucky I took over for you, or else everyone would have died. You had best understand that."

The old merchant gulped, sensing the fury that radiated from behind him. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now, how close are we to Mitte?" Weiss asked, her attention going back to stopping the bleeding from Yang's chest.

Pyrrha took a brief look around. "Considering everything that has happened and the proximity of the mountains, I would say that we are only two hours or so away. Surprising, considering everything that happened."

Weiss raised a brow. "That _is_ surprising. Did the wagon really speed up our travels that much? Shouldn't it have taken more than a day?"

Wertz coughed. "When you ladies took a nap, you ended up sleeping through the night and into part of today."

Three heads whipped around. " _What?!"_

"You slept through the evening and into today. That's why we are so close to arriving. I stopped to make camp last night, but you ladies seemed so tired that I decided not to disturb you. For a while I thought you would never wake up."

The three girls exchanged a glance. "I can understand Yang and Pyrrha sleeping because of everything that happened, but I don't understand how I could have slept for so long," Weiss said, a furrow to her brow.

"Mental exhaustion's probably why. I don't know what happened in Pesca, and I don't know what you went through, but you're probably exhausted on the inside. It'll take a while to recover from an experience like that," Wertz said quietly, his eyes becoming glassy.

He shook his head with a smile. "Either way, you ladies needed the rest, so I didn't see fit to wake you. Although, your stomachs were growling something fierce this morning."

As if on cue, three stomachs gurgled, prompting the girls to laugh. "We have some deer jerky left. Why don't we eat it with some Winder berries?" Pyrrha suggested, attempting to bend over and rummage through the burlap sack, only to return to her upright position, cringing.

"Are you hurt, Pyrrha? Where are you in pain?" Weiss asked, handing the cloth back to Yang so she could examine Pyrrha.

The captain waved her off with a gentle smile. "I seem to have injured my ribs, though it doesn't seem like I've punctured a lung. I will be alright in time. Until they are healed however, I had best avoid aggravating my injuries."

Weiss gave her a skeptical look but ultimately relented; she had little knowledge of medicine, so who was she to challenge Pyrrha? Instead, she retrieved the food and passed it around, allowing them to all enjoy the taste of the fresh fruit and the last of the deer meat.

It wasn't until nightfall, when the rain had come down heavily that they arrived in Mitte.

When they got off of the wagon, Weiss went to hand Wertz the 40 lien for the trip, but he shook his head, gently closing Weiss's fingers around the coin. "You three saved my life. I would say that is more than enough to pay for the ride."

"If you're sure then…" Weiss said, unsure if she should push the issue or not.

Wertz nodded. "I'm sure." He pointed down a street off to their left. "The town doctor is just down that street next to the tavern. And there are plenty of inns here, so it shouldn't be any trouble to find lodging here."

The three girls nodded. "Thank you very much for all of your help, Wertz. We will not forget your kindness," Pyrrha said, dipping her head politely.

He smiled, his eyes crinkling. "It was my pleasure, ladies. I will pray for your future safe travels." And with that, he left, guiding his horse down one of the side streets and disappearing from sight.

The three girls shared a nod before heading towards the town doctor. Hopefully they would be able to help.

* * *

 **And there we go! It felt like a good stopping point to end it where I did. Hopefully y'all liked the action scene. It kind of popped into my head when I was writing. Originally, I was going to have them attacked by bandits, but then I figured that it would be too similar to the bandit attack Yang and Weiss dealt with earlier. I think the change ended up being for the better. If any of you have ever seen the anime "Black Lagoon," you can basically think of it as the boat vs. attack chopper scene from season one lol. That was the vibe I was going for. I hope y'all had fun! Until next time~!**


	17. Somebody Call a Doctor

**Hello, hello! I have something of an announcement regarding this story: AJAR will be on a temporary hiatus until I start school back up again (in other words: September). I'm doing so in part because my school environment is a lot better for writing than home since my family and friends are here and I'm more easily distracted, but also because I want to take some time to figure out what kind of direction I want to take the story in for the future. The last thing I want is to lose interest in this project, so I'll be taking a break and focusing on writing whatever strikes my fancy for a while. Hopefully it will renew my motivation to write for AJAR. I'm sorry that this is out of nowhere, but I'd rather announce my intentions now rather than just taking a break and not saying a word at all. And with that, I'd like to thank all of you as usual for reading and supporting AJAR. I promise I will continue to write for this project, so I hope that I've given you all enough of a reason to stick around. Please enjoy~!**

 _ **Tl;dr: AJAR will be on break until September**_

* * *

The streets were long empty as the trio made their way to the doctor's building, most people long gone from when the rain began to fall steadily hours prior. They hurried as much as they could, fruitlessly ducking to avoid some of the rain splattering atop their heads. The only benefit to the rain was that its large drops help wash away much of the mud that had clung to them. Still, something of a bath was in order.

They neared the end of the street, spotting the tavern that Wertz had mentioned thanks to the light spilling out from the windows. The doctor's office, a modest building, had no lights coming from its windows, worrying the trio as they approached.

"Do you think they are gone for the night?" Pyrrha wondered aloud, pausing to pull Yang's arm further over her shoulders; the lack of adrenaline after the fight had reminded the brawler just how injured she was as the pain came back twofold. Pyrrha and Weiss had been forced to practically drag the blonde down the road.

Weiss huffed, though it came out as something of a wheeze, likely from the fatigue of carrying a portion of Yang's weight. "There are no breaks for a physician." And with that, she rapped her knuckles loudly against the sturdy wood of the door. Unless the doctor was dead, Yang would be treated tonight.

There was no response, not even rustling to indicate that someone was inside. Weiss tried again, knocking against the wood far more insistently than before and ignoring the pain that came with it. The doctor, wherever they were, could treat her knuckles too.

"Perhaps we should try asking around at the tavern?" Pyrrha offered, taking note of Yang's shallow breathing; the brawler was getting worse by the minute, and if her wounds didn't get treated soon, she would likely perish from blood loss.

Weiss didn't seem to hear her if the way she continued to pound at the door was any indication. Yang had saved her when by all accounts she should have died, and she wasn't about to repay that debt by letting the brawler die. She pounded at the door, throwing her knuckles at the sturdy wood over and over again.

 _Open up! Open up! Open up! Please open up! Please…_

Her fist was stopped mid-swing by Pyrrha's firm grip on her arm. She whipped her head around, venomous words ready on her lips, only to have them die before they could be aired, the pained, concerned look on Pyrrha's face stopping her.

The captain shook her head sadly, having trouble looking the former princess in the eyes. "Please stop, Princess. Pounding on the door to the point of injury will do no good for yourself or Yang."

Weiss's muscles relaxed a bit in the captain's grip, but the helpless worry on her face told Pyrrha that the smaller girl was still panicking.

"I-I don't know what to do, Pyrrha! Yang is on the verge of _dying_ and I can't do anything! How did her condition deteriorate this quickly?!"

Pyrrha released her grip on Weiss's arm in favor of firmly grabbing her shoulder. "You need to calm down, Princess. Panicking will not help Yang either. We will find the doctor and have them treat her."

"But how did her condition go so badly so quickly?" Weiss's voice had dropped in pitch, but her eyes were still wide with worry. It was progress.

The captain bit her lip. "She was already heavily injured from the duels, and then she had to escape from the city, fighting off some Grimm along the way, which only exhausted her further. With a lack of proper medicine to treat her, we couldn't completely treat her wounds, and with the trudging through the mud and the subsequent battle with the Ursa Major, Yang was truly pushing herself to the limits. Not only did she further aggravate her old injuries in the fight, she was also freshly injured anew, which only caused her to lose more blood. The only thing that likely had kept her going to this point was pure adrenaline and determination."

Weiss blinked, stunned at the information that was all but dumped on her. It was true that Yang's injuries hadn't received proper treatment, but the brawler hadn't acted as if she was particularly injured. Had Weiss just simply been blind to how hard Yang was struggling?

Pyrrha watched as Weiss's face fell, a guilty look swirling in her icy eyes. "If it is any consolation," she said softly, "Yang's acting nearly had _me_ fooled, and I am rather accustomed to judging injuries. I doubt there was any way for you to tell what the full extent of her pain was, especially given your lack of experience with field medicine. Even _I_ didn't know the full extent of her pain."

"Still… I… I should have known that _something_ was wrong! I should have done something to help her! If I wasn't so _useless_ whenever a fight breaks out—"

Pyrrha firmly shook Weiss's shoulder, stopping the girl mid-sentence. Her emerald gaze sought out ice-blue, hoping to convey the sincerity in her next words. "You couldn't have known. You have no experience, so you had no way to know. Secondly, you have no combat training, so you should not blame yourself for being unable to assist in a fight. Staying out of the way so you don't get caught up in the middle of a battle is the best you can do at the moment."

"Besides," the captain said with a soft smile, "you were integral in our escape from the Ursa Major. If you hadn't taken the reigns from Wertz and did what you did, all of us would have likely died. You did everything you could, so do not blame yourself for any of this."

She rose up just a bit, but the smile remained on her face. "Do you understand what I have said, Princess?"

Weiss hesitated a moment before nodding, finding her boots incredibly fascinating at that moment.

"Now, let us ask about the doctor at the tavern," Pyrrha said, guiding Weiss towards the door. Hopefully somebody would know about the mysterious physician's whereabouts.

* * *

The tavern was noisy when the trio entered, laughter and shouts filling the stiflingly hot air. Glasses clinked as people made merriment, unaware of the battered trio that entered. Only the bartender, a bulky man with arms as thick as a tree, seemed to notice them. "Welcome, ladies," he rumbled. "What are ya drinkin'?"

"Actually," Pyrrha said as she stepped forward, "we were wondering if you knew the whereabouts of the doctor next door. Our companion is in terrible need of treatment."

The man blinked before jerking a thumb towards the opposite end of the bar. "You're in luck; the doc's at the end there. Dunno how much good she'll do drunk and all, but it might be worth a shot."

Weiss and Pyrrha dipped their heads in thanks, wasting no time hurrying to the end of the bar. Draped over the table was a red-haired woman, a loose grip on her mug of ale as she snored away.

Pyrrha cleared her throat loudly, hoping to be heard over the noise. "Excuse me. Are you the town's doctor?"

Another snore was her only response, so Pyrrha took to nudging the woman, who still refused to stir. With an awkward cough, the captain shook the woman's shoulder gently but insistently. "Miss? Are you the doctor? We need treatment for a friend."

The woman started awake with a snort, slowly taking in her surroundings. She sighed –irritation heavily laced throughout—and craned her neck towards the trio, fixing them with a glare. "Whaddaya want?" she slurred.

"We have a friend who needs serious medical treatment quickly. She's on the verge of dying of blood loss," Pyrrha intoned, unsure of how much help this woman would be if she was as drunk as she seemed to be.

The woman squinted at the trio, looking them all up and down before settling her somewhat unsettling gaze on Yang. She rose abruptly from her chair, swaying back and forth as she approached. She ran her fingers over Yang's injuries before grabbing the brawler's face and turning it back and forth, lifting the blonde's eyelids every so often and squinting into unfocused lilac orbs.

With a huff of what Pyrrha thought was exasperation, the doctor stepped away, unceremoniously slapping some lien down on the table. "Your friend's gonna be fine with the right salves and some actual rest. I dunno what you three have been up to, but you all look like you could use a break and some treatment."

She headed for the door. "I don't have all night, so get movin.'"

Pyrrha nodded awkwardly.

 _Hopefully this woman knows what she's doing._

* * *

 **Once again, this chapter's on the short side, but I wanted to get it out sooner than later. Hopefully the doctor's statements will help ease this cliffhanger. Yang'll be fine, so there's no need to worry. Again, I apologize for the short notice, but I feel like a break is the best course of action for me at the moment. I hope y'all'll join me when AJAR comes back in September. Thank you for your support so far and have a lovely summer! Until next time!**


	18. The Doctor Will See You Now

**Hello, hello! Welcome back everyone! I hope life's been treating y'all well in the time that AJAR has been on break. I've figured out what kind of direction I'm gonna take the story in so I hope y'all will look forward to it in the chapters to come! (I'm late on this but there were some unexpected life things, along with the skin on my fingertips cracking and bleeding which made it really hard to type) Lastly, a very special thank-you to texanredrose, who has been supporting me through the break and helping me stay motivated, and a thank-you to everyone who returned to read this! Enjoy~!**

* * *

Pyrrha and Weiss dragged Yang after the doctor, whose pace was surprisingly brisk for someone who had seemed to be completely drunk a mere moment ago. She'd managed to snap out of her stupor for the time being, but Pyrrha couldn't help but worry; unsteady hands could very well push Yang's condition over the edge.

The woman stopped in front of the door to her clinic, fetching a rusted brass key out of the pocket of her long coat. The door opened with the chime of a bell and the doctor ushered the three girls inside, quickly brushing past them after the door shut behind her.

She guided them to a table covered in white cloth, urging them to lay Yang upon it while she lit the dust crystals and brought light into the room. She rolled a table covered with various medical instruments to rest beside the examination table, pulling on a pair of silk gloves with practiced ease.

"What happened to this one? You all look worse-for-wear, but she's the most beat-up out of all of you," she said, scrutinizing Yang's injuries under a new light.

Pyrrha cleared her throat. "She injured her right shoulder and left thigh during a duel, while the gash across her chest was from a fight with an Ursa Major."

The doctor raised a brow, tying back her red hair with a ribbon on her wrist as she did so. "A fight with an Ursa Major and all she got from it was a gash? She's either lucky or she's one of the few in a demolished group left alive."

"Er… no. She's actually a rather skilled fighter. She and I held it off long enough for my companion here to help us escape."

The doctor's other brow rose until they nearly receded into her hairline. "That so?" She let out a whistle. "Remind me to send for you girls whenever I've gotta make a trip to Castle Town."

She squinted then, peering at the wound in Yang's leg. "…Was she stabbed with a rapier of some kind? The entry point of the wound is awfully small."

Pyrrha fidgeted then, wringing her hands together. "…No. She was hit by a… dust bullet of mine."

The doctor stopped then, turning in her seat and squinting further. "You saying you're the one that gave her some of these injuries? And the hell is a 'dust bullet?'"

Pyrrha squirmed under her burning gaze, unused to such skeptical scrutiny. "Er… yes… There were some… circumstances."

"And the 'dust bullets?'"

"They're something like an arrow condensed into a small cylinder. I'm not entirely sure how it works, though the blacksmith who made it did try to explain."

The doctor turned back to face Yang with an unconvinced hum, examining the brawler's shoulder. "This from one of them 'dust bullets' too?"

Pyrrha nodded, though she belatedly realized the doctor wouldn't have been able to see the gesture. "Yes, ma'am."

Weiss, who had been clinging to the captain ever since they had laid Yang onto the table, squeezed the captain's hands, her voice coming out as little more than a whisper. "Will she truly be alright, Doctor?"

"Your bullets ever lead to an infection, Circlet?"

Pyrrha blinked. "You mean me?"

The doctor gave an annoyed grunt. "Who else has got a headpiece on here?"

"…Right… Not with proper medical treatment they haven't. I'm told that treating it like a normal arrow wound is enough."

The doctor hummed, rubbing some kind of salve into the gash across Yang's chest.

"Will Yang be alright, Doctor?" Weiss asked more firmly this time.

"Probably."

Weiss blinked. "Probably?"

"Mhmm. While she's lost a lot of blood and is exhausted, she'll probably pull through." She began wrapping a bandage around Yang's torso, raising the brawler with surprising ease when necessary. "Besides, if she's tough enough to take on an Ursa Major and only come out with one gash, I'd say she'll pull through even if she has to fight her way out of hell."

Strength seemed to leave Weiss at the doctor's words, and it was only because she was already leaning against Pyrrha that she didn't collapse to the ground. She could feel relief suffuse her system, but she knew in the back of her mind that Yang was not entirely safe yet, and so she took a deep breath, steeling her emotions until Yang woke up.

She had to.

There was no way that Yang wouldn't wake up.

 _You have to._

"Why don't you two sit down? I won't be getting to you two for a while so you better make yourselves comfortable," the doctor said, gesturing vaguely behind her before returning to her work, moving on to rubbing the salve into Yang's thigh.

The two did so, hands still clasped tightly together. Pyrrha gave a squeeze of reassurance; she had seen many soldiers come back from the brink of death by pure strength of will alone –and some by pure spite. She had full confidence that Yang would come back from this, and she'd likely be more worried about Weiss than herself when she did.

Pyrrha nearly giggled aloud at her own thought, but managed to keep herself in check with a minimal margin of control; it was a wildly inappropriate time to be laughing, given her temporary companion's state. She coughed, wincing as her ribs protested, before settling into her seat for the time being, waiting patiently until the doctor finished her work.

* * *

An hour later, Yang's wounds had been treated with various salves and wrapped in bandages. The doctor had also tended to the brawler's heavily bruised arm and checked for any other injuries medicine could find.

The brawler's current half-clothed-half-bandaged state reminded Weiss of her own experience when Yang had first saved her. It would have been comical if Yang had been awake to laugh with her. Maidens, she missed Yang's mischievous laugh and crooked grin, and it hadn't even been a full day since they were laughing and grinning at their escape from the Ursa Major. If Yang had died… she didn't know what she would do.

Her dramatic sentiment brought her mind back to some of her musings that she had been considering while the doctor went about her work. She could tell she was growing more and more dependent on Yang with each day that passed, and while she was happy to have such a strong bond with someone, she knew that she couldn't simply let the pattern continue; she didn't want to remain useless forever.

The only problem was she was unsure of how to go about remedying that. She knew that fighting was out of the question at this point; they didn't exactly have the luxury of purchasing extra weapons, despite their recent increase in coin. They would be better off spending it on supplies and other _actual_ necessities.

Besides that, Yang wouldn't be in much shape to instruct her properly for a while, and even beyond _that_ , when she had last probed the blonde on the possibility of learning to defend herself, Yang seemed… _reluctant_. She couldn't be sure the reason, but regardless of whether the brawler wanted to teach her or not, the fact still remained that she likely wouldn't be able to for some time.

Pyrrha was an option, but it felt… _strange_ somehow. In a way, it almost felt like a betrayal to Yang to leave something so important to Pyrrha instead of her. She knew she was being ridiculous, but the feeling was still there.

It was only after several more minutes of pondering that Weiss came to a stunningly obvious conclusion; field medicine. If she couldn't fight, the least she could do was patch up the people who did. And even beyond that, she could learn some basic survival skills. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

As soon as she was able, she would search for a book seller in town and purchase any book she could on anything to do with medicine or survival.

She felt giddy, a warmth spreading from her head to her toes. She had found something; a way to be useful, and even more than that, she would be learning to be more self-reliant. She knew Yang would be proud of her.

The doctor returned from another room in her clinic then, a new pair of silk gloves on her hands. "Alright. Circlet, what's ailing you?"

Pyrrha blinked at the nickname's second usage, but elected not to mention it. "Besides exhaustion and a few cuts and scrapes here and there, I believe I've injured my ribs."

The doctor nodded, lifting up Pyrrha's shirt enough to run her fingers along the captain's ribs. "Any trouble breathing?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "It only hurts to inhale a large amount of air or laugh. I don't feel like I'm chasing my breath or anything of that sort."

The doctor pulled away, nodding and rising to grab some of the salve from the nearby table. "I didn't feel anything broken, so you've likely just bruised them. Just be careful with what you're doing and take it easy for a while." She then dabbed some of the salve on the captain's wounds.

"Now what's the reason all three of you look like you've been through hell and back?"

The air changed in the room. Pyrrha and Weiss tensed, sucking in a breath as the memories came rushing back. Weiss closed her eyes, bringing a hand up over her mouth and forcing the sick feeling in her stomach back down.

Pyrrha hesitated, placing a hand on Weiss's back before swallowing around a lump that had formed in her throat. "Pesca was destroyed in a Grimm attack," she said, her throat raw with barely-contained emotion.

The doctor's eyes widened. "And you three…" She trailed off.

Pyrrha only nodded, unable to bring herself to verbalize what the doctor had already figured out. The wound was too fresh, and no amount of battles would ever truly accustom her to witnessing a massacre of innocent people.

The doctor's eyes softened then, and she placed a hand over the one clenched in Pyrrha's lap. "You don't have to say anything else. I used to be a field doctor for the military before I left to start my own practice."

" _I know what you're dealing with."_ She conveyed the sentiment wordlessly, allowing Weiss and Pyrrha to experience their grief without minimizing it or comparing it. Each person's grief was entirely their own, and to not allow them to go through the process in peace would have been downright unprofessional, not to mention entirely inconsiderate. She would have considered herself a failure as a doctor should she have ignored this fact.

Gruff as she could be, she had a heart, and she'd be damned if she didn't do her best to ease their burdens.

She turned to Weiss and rested a gentle hand on her knee. "Emotional scars will heal with time, but please allow me to take care of the physical ones for now."

Weiss, who had been counting her breathing, looked up slowly, nodding her assent.

"Just some scrapes and exhaustion?" the doctor asked softly.

With another nod from Weiss, the doctor applied the salve, asking Weiss to move or lift a piece of clothing when the situation called for it.

The doctor felt her heart bleed for the white-haired girl, obviously less accustomed to witnessing violence. She knew as well as anyone who has seen the horrors of war or a Grimm attack what kind of impact it had on a person. The girl would need plenty of support to work through it, and she dearly hoped her two battered companions would be able to provide it.

When the doctor finished her work, she gave a gentle squeeze to Weiss's knee before rising and removing her gloves. "You got a place to stay for tonight?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "We came straight here after arriving, so we haven't had the chance." Her stomach gurgled loudly, and she smiled sheepishly. "We haven't eaten yet either."

The doctor nodded. "Help me move your friend here and I'll set you girls up with a room and some food. Sound fair?"

With a nod from the two travelers, the three of them began to carry Yang up a set of stairs and down a hall, the wood floors creaking softly underneath them. They reached a room at the end of the hall, where the doctor ushered them inside, igniting the dust crystals and bringing light into the room.

It was modest, but functional. A single bed sat against the wall, clear on either side so others could be near the occupant. Off to the sides were three small cots and a few chairs. Near the bed, a string with a wooden handle descended from the ceiling, though there was no visible connection to anything.

The three women laid Yang into the bed, carefully pulling the covers over her limp form. The doctor grabbed the string then, giving it a gentle tug. A bell could be heard from elsewhere in the building. "Pull this if something happens, alright? I'll come running." She received another nod from both of them before she left the room and padded down the hall.

Pyrrha pulled up a chair for herself and Weiss, who had said nothing since the reminder of the destruction of Pesca. She gestured to the chair, but when the shorter girl made no move to sit, she coaxed her into it.

"Princess Weiss," she started as she sat down into her own chair on the opposite side of the bed, "what are you thinking about?"

The former-princess started, jolting violently in her chair.

"Princess, it is only me. We are safe here in Mitte," the captain said, reaching across the bed to grasp Weiss's hand.

Weiss counted her breaths again. In and out, in and out. She counted and counted until she felt her heart return to its normal pace.

"I… I was thinking about… Pesca." She took a deep breath, focusing her eyes on Yang's sleeping form.

Pyrrha squeezed the royal's hand; she conveyed her understanding wordlessly, and the two waited in silence until the doctor returned with a tray of food, two bowls of a hearty stew on top.

"Eat up. The carrots, potatoes, and meat will help you get some of your strength back. Once you're done, I've got a bath waiting for you two downstairs," she said, handing each girl a bowl and receiving a quiet thank-you in return.

Pyrrha looked up then, her brow furrowed. "What will we owe you for all of this? You've shown us a great deal of kindness by allowing us to stay here and feeding us."

"Worry about that after you've gotten better," the doctor huffed, waving the notion away. "Besides, I treat all my patients like this, so this is nothing special."

"Regardless, thank you," Weiss whispered, tentatively meeting the doctor's eyes.

The woman smiled in return. "Of course. Now eat up and get in the bath. You need your rest and I won't drag you out of the tub if you fall asleep in there."

She left then, leaving the two in peace and returning to her room.

Pyrrha and Weiss did exactly as instructed; they enjoyed the surprisingly-good stew, bathed, dressed in the robes the doctor had left for them, and climbed into their cots. Weiss scooted her cot closer to Yang's, until they were practically sleeping in the same bed, tangling their fingers together in the familiar way they had.

The two conscious companions bade each other goodnight before drifting off into the most restful sleep they had gotten in far too long.

There was much to do tomorrow.

* * *

 **How was it? I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, and I realized something because of it: I always used to shoot for nine pages each, but I realized that it basically took all the fun out of writing. I've decided that instead of aiming for a certain number of pages, I'm simply going to write until I find a good place to cut things off. Now, it won't be long until the main plot-line is introduced, as I said, so I hope y'all will stick around. Until next time~!**


	19. Preparations for the Future

**Hello, hello! Just a head's up: this chapter is short because I'm planning to push out a special chapter of Can Ghosts Be Clumsy? for Halloween. These past few weeks have been crazy for me, and with the end of the semester coming, I'll only get busier. I'll be participating in Freezerburn week, so if you're bummed about the short chapter, there will be plenty more Freezerburn this coming month! As usual, a huge thank-you to everyone supporting AJAR and myself. Enjoy~!**

* * *

The morning came seemingly all too soon, sunlight streaming in from the window and shining into Pyrrha's eyes. The soldier stirred, rubbing at her bleary eyes and staring at the ceiling as she recalled the events of the night before.

She glanced to her right, smiling softly at the sight of Weiss practically curled into Yang's side as the two breathed evenly. The brawler still looked worse-for-wear, but the snowy-haired girl looked far more relaxed than she had in days. She had perked up a bit with the bath and hot stew, but the two could not compare to the respite of a well-deserved rest.

Pyrrha rose, stretching as far as her ribs would allow, before donning a green shirt and dark pants that the doctor had been kind enough to leave while her armor and accompanying uniform were cleaned. It felt nice to wear something that wasn't soaked with sweat or blood, and she relished the feeling of freedom that came from her clothes not sticking to her like a second skin. It had been a long time since she had last not worn armor, so the lack of the familiar weight was pleasant as well.

After stretching the rest of her limbs to work out the stiffness and some of the aches, she decided to rouse Weiss. She would let the girl return to sleep if that was what she so desired, but the soldier planned to head into the town market, so she figured that there would be no harm in asking the princess if she wished to come along.

She rested a hand against the small shoulder of the snowy-haired girl before gently nudging her, careful not to jostle her too much lest she startle her or inadvertently jostle Yang.

Weiss moaned softly, burying her face back into the pillow and tightening her grip on Yang's hand.

Pyrrha giggled. During her days in the castle, Weiss had always been forced to be a punctual person, waking promptly and early every morning and completing any tasks in a timely manner; sleeping-in was simply not something Princess Weiss Schnee would ever be caught doing. So to see her now, clearly willing the captain to leave her be through the thick fog of sleep and grumbling like a child, it made Pyrrha smile. It was heartening to see the princess being able to relax, even if only a little.

She tried again, whispering softly this time. "Princess Weiss? Have you awakened?"

When she received another grumble in response, Pyrrha nudged her more firmly. "Princess Weiss? The sooner you answer me, the sooner you can return to sleep."

That seemed to do the trick, as a single, scarred eye cracked open, irritation written plainly in her expression. "What is it, Pyrrha? What on earth could compel you to be up so early after all we've been through?"

"I am going into the town market today to purchase some supplies, and I wanted to ask you whether or not you wish to accompany me," the captain said, a fond smile on her lips.

Weiss blinked, the words seemingly taking a great deal of time to process before recognition crossed her features. In an instant, she was up and on her feet, changing into her own white dress that the doctor had provided. As soon as the strings on her boots were tied, Weiss opened Yang's burlap sack and pulled out the coin pouch, dumping some coin into a smaller pouch she had tied at her waist. A part of her felt guilty for taking money from the pouch without asking Yang, but she was sure the brawler wouldn't mind, after all, Yang had spared little expense with her. Besides, she was purchasing things which would benefit them on their journey, so there was little to object to.

…

…She'd tell Yang once the brawler woke up.

The two headed downstairs to find the doctor awake and eating a breakfast of dried meat and cheese, a plate of it waiting for each of them. They exchanged pleasant conversation, the doctor seemingly happy to see Weiss feeling far better than she had the night before.

When they finished their meal, the doctor dressed their wounds with more salve and fresh bandages before seeing them off from the door, mentioning a few shops of interest before ducking back inside, likely to check on Yang and any other patients she might have had.

The soldier and the princess wandered through town, with the former stopping at various shops along the streets to buy medical supplies, long-lasting food, and a compass.

Weiss followed along, content to peer into the different stores and take in the beautiful sights that Mitte had to offer. The town was nestled in the middle of the Ostlich Pass, a path that travelers took when cutting through the surrounding mountain range. Natural rivers flowed throughout the town, crisscrossing streets and powering water wheels and other such structures. Plenty of fish swam through the rivers, namely Cora, a species native to the Mitte rivers. It was a mild-tasting fish that absorbed whatever flavor it was cooked with, making it a popular choice even outside the little town.

When Pyrrha was content with her purchases, she turned to Weiss. "What did you want to get in town, Princess?"

The smaller girl blinked, seemingly having momentarily forgotten that she had a reason for coming along, before her features sharpened into a determined stare. "I want to find a bookseller in town."

It was Pyrrha's turn to blink, surprised by the princess's request. "A bookseller? May I ask why?"

"I want to study field medicine and survival techniques."

Pyrrha's expression softened, a touch of sympathy dancing in her emerald orbs. "Is this about what we discussed earlier? You know that neither Yang nor I believe you are useless. In the fight with the Ursa, it is very likely that we would have died without you."

Weiss shook her head. "I know that, but I realized that if I can't fight, I should be able to heal those that do. Besides, there is no harm in learning survival skills."

Pyrrha hesitated. "That is true, but I'm worried that you are distressed about something which you should feel no guilt over."

"As I said, there is no harm in learning survival skills, and beyond that, I want to learn something that will actually benefit me outside the castle. Being trained in singing, dancing, and entertaining is all well and good for life in the castle, but it will do me little good now. I long to have skills that will be a boon to our journey."

Weiss locked eyes with the captain, her icy gaze burning with a white-hot passion. "I wish to do this for my own satisfaction and nothing more."

Pyrrha raised her hands in surrender, simultaneously forcing a proud smile that threatened to break out across her features into a more neutral one. "Very well, Princess. Let us find a bookseller."

* * *

It took some asking around, but eventually they were able to find a bookseller on the outskirts of town, the shop nestled between the town gate and a shoemaker. The wooden sign –the color stain long-faded—hanging above the door emblazoned with a single red book.

They entered the shop, Pyrrha holding the door open for the princess before entering herself. The place was practically stuffed to the brim, books that didn't have places on the shelves spilling over into piles dotting the floors of the shop. The dust crystals that lit room were dim, giving the already tight space and even cozier feel. If it weren't for the lingering dust that itched their noses, the two suspected it would be rather easy to fall asleep in one of the many comfortable chairs dotting the building.

A sleepy-looking woman stood behind her counter, her chin propped up in her hand as she flipped through the pages of her book. She had tied her brown hair back into a messy bun, adding to her overall disheveled look as much as the dark circles under her eyes did.

At the jingle of the bell and a rush of air that accompanied the open door, she woman looked up, her brown eyes settling on the two women as they entered. "Welcome," she mumbled, stifling a yawn. "Are you two looking for any particular books?"

Weiss stepped up to the counter, the high counter nearly dwarfing her as she stood before it. "I need books on field medicine and survival skills."

The woman glanced over her form, seemingly taking in the bandages that encompassed a considerable portion of her visible skin, before nodding and moving about the shelves with a purpose.

She came back to the counter moments later with a stack of books in her hands, plopping them onto the wood with a dull thud. She lifted up the top three and stacked them into a separate pile. "These three are books on field medicine, while these two are about survival skills for the wilderness. Are these what you had in mind?"

Weiss took each book in turn and skimmed through them, flipping through the pages and darting her eyes back and forth at a pace that made Pyrrha dizzy. After a few moments of appraisal, she nodded. "These will do, though I have a request."

The other woman raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"May I return any of these if they do not ultimately suit my needs?"

The woman blinked, seemingly taken aback by the request. "You want to return them?"

Weiss nodded. "Only if they do not ultimately suit my needs. I wanted to speak with the town doctor about the accuracy of these books and return them if she deems them to be subpar."

The woman stared for a moment before sighing. "You mean Doctor Heilen? Fine, but you have to return them by tomorrow evening, otherwise you won't be getting a refund, you hear?"

"Yes, thank you."

Once they paid for the books, the two women returned to Doctor Heilen's practice, sighing at the smell of meat cooking in the dining area.

Over dinner, Weiss mentioned her request to the doctor, who agreed to help on the condition that the two deliver a note to the bookseller woman the next day. They agreed, and the rest of the meal was enjoyed with pleasant conversation.

When Weiss climbed into her cot that evening -her body freshly washed and her stomach full- she hummed happily, snuggling under the blankets and taking Yang's calloused hand, running her fingers over the toughened skin.

"Please wake up soon, Yang," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow, she would begin her studies. She hoped Yang would be happy.

* * *

 **Like I said; short but I'll be writing up a storm this month so I don't think y'all'll be starved for content. Hopefully y'all enjoyed this short update. Also, my German speaking readers will probably laugh at me for the doctor's name. "Heilen" in German means "to heal" or just "heal." So basically Doctor Heal. (Mercy is that you? Lmao) I know I suck at names so please don't kill me ahaha. Until next time~!**


	20. Don't Kill The Messenger

**Hello, hello! (Welcome to the heavily edited version of this chapter! As per feedback, I have made several changes, so hopefully this reads better now). So I'm late but what else is new? Finals were really busy this year (my senior year) so I had basically no time to write. And since I'm back home, writing has been slow going. In exchange, I'll be posting something extra along with the next chapter of The Dragon Priestess within the next few days. Thanks for being patient!**

* * *

Weiss and Pyrrha were greeted the next morning by Doctor Heilen, prominent bags under her eyes. She gestured to the stack of books nearby as she sipped at a mug of what smelled of coffee.

"Finished checking them over last night. All of them are accurate, but you only need this red one and this green one," she said tapping at said books. "They've got all the information of the other three plus more."

Weiss nodded, pulling the two from the stack. "Thank you very much for your help. Do you have the note?"

Doctor Heilen fished around one of the pockets in her coat, retrieving a slip of paper and handing it to Pyrrha. "Make sure she sees it, alright? She's gotta read it before you leave."

Pyrrha cocked her head slightly, but ultimately nodded. "We'll make sure she does so. Thank you for your assistance."

Weiss scurried upstairs with her finalized purchases in her arms, depositing them in their room before returning. She took the note from Pyrrha while the soldier scooped up the remaining books, and with a wave, they left for the bookseller.

* * *

The town was lively that morning, enjoying the waning shine of the sun as the snow-filled clouds loomed in the distance. Mitte had notoriously bad winters, and the people knew to enjoy what little sun they had left before it would not be seen again for months.

Weiss watched her breath turn to a fog with each puff of air, curling in the cold until it faded away. The castle would not yet see snow for another few weeks, but once it did, the paths outside Castle Town would be near-impassible with carts. The people would likely be preparing for the weather, gathering firewood and dried meats and fruits, and the thought brought fond memories from the castle; she and Winter would press their noses to the castle windows, eager to watch the first snowfall of the season blanket everything in sight. They would hurry outdoors, fussing servants trying to dress them in enough clothing to stave off the chill as they ran through the castle halls. When they were finally deemed ready to brave the weather, they would storm the grounds, building snowmen or forts, having snowball fights, and making snow angels.

She must have been smiling, because Pyrrha giggled quietly next to her, and she shook herself out of her memories. "What's so amusing, Pyrrha?"

The redhead smiled knowingly. "Nothing in particular, Princess. Were you thinking of something nice?"

Weiss felt her cheeks color, more than the chill in the air ever could cause. "Perhaps." Her expression turned wistful then. "But it was a memory from long ago."

Pyrrha nodded then, training her eyes ahead. "The bookseller is just down this way. Let's hurry and get out of the cold."

* * *

Moments later, the pair entered the shop, sighing at the warmth that greeted them. The same bell jingled as the door was shut, causing the same brown-eyed woman to look up from the book she was flipping through.

"Welcome back," she yawned. "Are those three inaccurate?"

Weiss shook her head as Pyrrha set said books down with a light thump. "Doctor Heilen said they are accurate, but the two we decided to keep contain all the same information these do and more. They would have been dead weight."

The woman flipped through the pages -seemingly checking for damages—before setting the books on one of the many stacks crowding the area behind the counter. "One moment while I get your coin."

She wandered to the back, returning a moment later with the lien, plopping the coin into Weiss's waiting hand. "Anything else you girls need?"

"Actually," Weiss said, pulling out the slip of paper from her pocket, "Doctor Heilen wanted us to give you this."

The woman's brows furrowed as she delicately grabbed the paper, treating it as if it were a dust crystal liable to explode right in her hand. Hesitantly, she unfolded the note.

Weiss and Pyrrha watched as the woman's expression went from suspicious to embarrassed, her face flushing like a tomato. She smashed her face into the slip of paper, unsuccessfully attempting to hide her crimson cheeks from the pair.

"That woman," she groaned before freezing in place. She slowly lowered the note to reveal a stare that sent a shiver up the two girls' spines. "You didn't read this, did you?"

Weiss shook her head so quickly she could feel her muscles twinge in protest, while Pyrrha gulped audibly. "No, we didn't."

The woman stared them down another minute before covering her face with her hand. "Good," she sighed. "Wait here a moment. I'll have you deliver my response as punishment for seeing me flush so terribly."

The two girls had a moment to breathe, feeling the chill of the woman's stare fading away, before she returned, a slip of paper tightly folded clutched tightly between her fingers. She motioned for Weiss to hold out her hand, dropping the paper into the latter's palm before snatching Weiss's hands and leaning in close.

"Read this and I swear I will kill you. Understand?" she whispered icily, her eyes wide in a frenzied state.

Weiss nodded mutely, enough that her hands were released, and stowed the paper in her pocket. She had no guess as to what the contents of either message were, and frankly, she didn't want to know if it meant she would be killed for it. While the idea of some underhanded arrangement popped into her head, it didn't explain the flush that colored the woman's cheeks.

She jumped when the woman's voice pierced the air again. "Thank you for your patronage."

And with a sense of dismissal, the two left the shop wondering what exactly they had gotten themselves into.

The clouds that had once been in the distance were closer now, and they would likely bring snow with them. After a few years, the two Princesses had begun to see less and less of each other, and Pyrrha could see the change in Weiss as the years dragged on, her enjoyment of the season fading away with each passing year. Now though, with someone at her side, she wondered if there was any change.

She cleared her throat quietly, catching Weiss's eye. "Are you looking forward to the snow, Princess?"

Weiss hummed, looking to the sky. She didn't answer immediately, and Pyrrha watched as she seemingly worked through her thoughts.

"Maybe a bit," she finally said, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Although I don't think I'll like it as much when we have to travel through it."

Pyrrha laughed, a loud, fond laugh. "I would say not, but until that moment comes, I hope you can enjoy it as you once did."

Weiss's smile shrank into something more wistful, more melancholic. "I hope so as well. Though I'm sure that you and Yang will help with that." She leveled a playful glare at the captain. "But if you throw a snowball at me like you did last year, I will dump you in a snowbank."

Pyrrha raised her hands in surrender. "I'll be careful to remember that."

Weiss jabbed a finger into Pyrrha's sternum. "And do not even _think_ of bringing Yang into any of your mischief! I will not allow the two of you to gang up on me."

The captain clicked her tongue, a grin sapping any real irritation from it. "You saw right through me. Although I doubt Miss Yang would team up with me over you, Princess; she's far too attached."

"I feel the same could be said for me," Weiss said after a moment.

Pyrrha rested a hand on the former princess's shoulder. "She'll wake up soon, Princess. I'm sure of it."

"She will," Weiss murmured. "She will."

It became something of a mantra as the two returned to the doctor's clinic, Weiss trying to reassure herself and also insisting that it would be the truth. Pyrrha could only sympathize and hope that Yang truly would wake soon; the amount of worry and stress she was causing Weiss was unhealthy, and it made Pyrrha herself worry.

"You need to wake soon, Yang. For both of your sakes," she whispered.

* * *

Weiss stood gaping as Doctor Heilen laughed so hard she began to choke, tears streaming down her face. The woman had taken the slip of paper from them, grinning as she read it, before Weiss shared their harrowing tale.

Her laughter only ceased when she coughed too much to continue, taking deep breaths after her fit and wiping the tears from her eyes. "That sounds like Amelia all right."

Weiss fumed. "You knew what she was like and you still sent us?!"

"You wouldn't have done it if I'd told you, now would you?" Doctor Heilen said with a shrug.

Pyrrha laid a calming hand on Weiss's shoulder, trying to ease the girl down from her urge to kill. "If I may, what did you say to her that made her blush so?"

Doctor Heilen snickered into her hand, ignoring the scathing look Weiss sent her. "I wrote her a sappy poem asking if she'd like to go dine at the local tavern with me."

Pyrrha blinked. In a way, it made sense; not many things elicited a blush as a reaction after all. However, that did little to soothe Weiss. Pyrrha swallowed dryly at the feeling of Weiss tensing beneath her palm.

"You… nearly got us killed over a _love poem_." Weiss's tone was empty, devoid of any emotion, like the aftermath of a famine. She looked completely and totally calm.

Pyrrha shivered. Granted, while Amelia _seemed_ more than willing to make good on her threats, there was little _actual_ danger. Still, she could also understand that Weiss did not take kindly to being laughed at, especially for what was essentially a practical joke.

She hoped that the doctor knew exactly what bloodlust looked like, because Weiss was the personification of it, and anything less than a heartfelt apology would likely end in somebody needing medical care.

Silently, she tried to signal the doctor, but the woman either didn't see or didn't care, because the next words out of her mouth were: "Pretty much. Got me a good laugh too. Thanks!"

Pyrrha took hold of Weiss's arms and held her in place in a lightning quick move, stopping Weiss from launching herself at Doctor Heilen. The woman herself just laughed, taking their plates from the table and heading for the kitchen as she did so.

It was only after several moments of talking Weiss down that Pyrrha was able to let go of the girl's shoulders, sure that she wouldn't attack the doctor the first chance she got. What seemed to calm her most effectively was the reminder that she had books to study and how impressed Yang would be when she woke.

Weiss shot one last scathing glare at the kitchen door before returning to their room and seating herself next to Yang with her field medicine book in hand. She remained there until dinner, returning back to her spot afterward and going to sleep long after the moon had risen.

"I miss you, Yang. Please wake up soon."

* * *

The next few days were quiet, Weiss often reading silently next to Yang, and Pyrrha alternating between shopping for supplies and food and sitting with Weiss. She made sure to remind Weiss to eat, sleep, and drink water when necessary, and Weiss always did so, but the instant she was done, she went right back to her books, pouring over them like she had done with her studies in the castle.

Occasionally, she would ask Pyrrha to pick up certain medical supplies such as needles when she went out, and the captain was all too happy to oblige; anything to soothe the former princess.

It wouldn't be obvious to many, but Pyrrha was aware that Weiss was becoming more stressed with each passing day, paying less and less attention to her surroundings, and forgetting to do basic necessities unless reminded.

Doctor Heilen had tried to tell Weiss that Yang would be fine and that Weiss needed to take care of herself, but Pyrrha knew it had fallen on deaf ears by the faintly masked irritation that lay behind tired ice-blue eyes; Weiss regarded the warnings as nothing more than an interruption, an obstacle keeping her from either her reading or watching over Yang.

It was something Pyrrha had seen before during her time in the castle; something would absorb Weiss's attention, and nothing else would matter until the affair was handled. She had heard that it had happened once not long after Winter stopped spending time with her, and the other was a month prior to her flight from the castle, which made a lot of sense looking back; Weiss had likely been trying to figure out the logistics of escaping the castle and being on her own.

She had tried to assist her then -with little success as their ranks and jobs were vastly different—but now, she put her all into it, reminding Weiss constantly to take care of herself, ignoring Weiss's irritation with her; she could be angry at Pyrrha all she liked, but it wouldn't stop her from ensuring Weiss's condition.

Quickly, it became obvious as the days went by that Weiss was losing her patience with Pyrrha, despite how much she liked her. What had begun as a willingness to listen to the captain had turned into vehement insistence on being left in peace and glares that could kill a lesser person. The doctor was afforded even less courtesy than Pyrrha, though the woman didn't hold it against her, simply giving her the reminders and allowing Pyrrha to actually enforce them.

Still, despite all the frustration and anger, the captain stuck close to Weiss, wanting to be a comforting presence if nothing else. And when she wasn't stopping Weiss from doing what she was insistent upon doing, she was welcome. Weiss never sent her away, despite everything. She never insulted her or berated her, she just insisted on being left alone.

It would be yet another several days until Yang woke.

* * *

Weiss was in the midst of re-reading her book on field medicine for perhaps the fiftieth time when she heard a… noise? It was distinctly human –something akin to a groan—and it pulled her out of her near-trance. Pyrrha had gone out earlier to get food and Doctor Heilen had gone to the bookseller to visit Amelia, so that only left…

 _Yang!_

She practically threw her book aside as she watched Yang stir, her lashes fluttering for a moment before practically creaking open.

Yang blinked, seemingly taking in her surroundings before Weiss dove at her, wrapping her in a hug that left her wheezing. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, but when she felt tears stain her shirt and trail along the crook of her neck, realization hit her like a swipe from an Ursa.

"Weiss?" she croaked, her throat dry from disuse.

That only prompted Weiss to burrow further into her, clinging to her like a lifeline. It was overwhelming, and yet entirely comforting at the same time; Weiss had missed her just as much as she had missed Weiss. She had dreamed of the girl whilst asleep, and they only served to make her miss her snowy-haired companion even more –there was always something missing from the dream versions of Weiss that reminded her that she had to get back to the real one soon.

She raised her arms, wincing at how weak and sore they felt, and wrapped them around Weiss's tiny frame, pulling her as close as she could. It felt right to embrace like this, to have her arms around the person who meant the most to her, and it was a feeling that she'd missed during her rest.

When she felt tears of her own prick at her eyes, she buried her face into the crook of Weiss's neck, letting them soak Weiss's shirt and taking in the girl's scent; mint and something else that she couldn't quite place. It was intoxicating and familiar in the same instant, and it was just another thing to add to the list of what she missed.

Through the thick of the emotions that assaulted her like a tidal wave, the one thing that truly stood out to her was the _relief_ that Weiss had missed her.

Weiss had missed _her_.

Weiss had missed her enough to shed _tears_ over her.

And before she could say anything to express herself, Weiss's lips tickled at her ear.

"I missed you _so_ much."

 _That_ certainly made her sob. The sound tore at her sore throat, yet she hardly felt it; she was so overwhelmed by everything that it was all she could do to keep up. Still, Weiss was waiting for her reply, and she had kept her companion waiting long enough for her to wake up -she wouldn't keep her waiting any longer.

She caressed the back of Weiss's head, pulling her that much closer until her own lips brushed the girl's ear.

"I missed you too."

* * *

It was a while yet before the two were willing to part, and even then, it was only to notify Doctor Heilen of Yang's awakening. The woman was forced to conduct her examination with Weiss practically glued to Yang's side, their hands firmly entwined as Yang answered question after question. She scrutinized the blonde, watching every subtle flinch or twitch with the precision of a hawk –it wouldn't do to take chances after all.

Finally, Doctor Heilen concluded that Yang was not suffering from any other ailments, stating that the brawler would be spending the next few days recovering her strength by eating and lightly exercising. Of course, Weiss near-instantaneously volunteered to watch over her companion's recovery, promising that she would ensure Yang was taken care of. The doctor agreed, though warned Weiss that she had to be firm in her instructions and steadfast in her actions, and only left to fetch Yang's meal once she was certain Weiss would do just that.

Pyrrha returned later to find Weiss hovering at Yang's elbow as the latter sipped at a bowl of simple soup. The blonde didn't seem to mind the proximity, having settled herself near the edge of the bed where Weiss had perched. It was heartening to see; both for the fact that Yang was awake, and also because Weiss looked far better than she had in days.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," she said as she stepped into the room, smiling brightly.

The blonde returned her smile. "Thanks, I'm glad to be awake. And thanks for helping me. I owe you."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not at all. I only did what anyone would have done."

"Maybe so, but I feel like I owe you all the same," Yang said, shaking her own head.

"I'm sure you will get your chance to repay her once we resume our travels," Weiss said with a laugh.

"That is true. I'm sure you'll have your chance soon. Until then, take your time and regain your strength."

Yang nodded, a determined smile crossing her features. "Of course. I'll be back to full strength before you know it!"

* * *

That night, Weiss assisted Yang with her bath, helping her into the tub and scrubbing her back. The brawler insisted on washing her own hair, and Weiss allowed it, but only under strict supervision and the promise that she wouldn't push herself. And while the companions washed their own hair, Weiss quietly sang a tune about a traveler taking in the sights of the world. It brought a smile to Yang's face and lit the flame in her desire to return to their travels.

When the three laid down for sleep, Weiss and Yang cuddled close, tangling their fingers together as had become familiar, and curling into each other. It was warm, but neither minded. Instead, they relished it, pulling each other closer until they were nearly one.

"Goodnight."

* * *

 **I'm late as hell but life was really busy. As promised, I'll be publishing an extra story within the next few days along with the next Dragon Priestess chapter. Special thanks to Eevee for giving me the motivation and encouragement I needed! Until next time~!**


	21. Reparations and Revelations

**Hello, hello. This is late and short, but better late than never, right? And just in time to overlap with this month's chapter lmao. My health's been out of whack and it put a huge damper on my energy to write. It should be sorted out soon though. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was another 2 weeks before Doctor Heilen deemed Yang fit to leave, having regained a considerable amount of strength during her recovery. She had insisted on pushing the boundaries of what she could do so they could leave sooner than later. Of course, it was under the watchful eye of both the doctor and Weiss, who both scolded the brawler whenever she tried to push herself too much, like when she went for a several mile run before anyone else had awakened; she was lectured for nearly as long as she had run.

Pyrrha had run several more errands for Weiss, including trips to Amelia's to purchase books on wild plants and animals, along with a Grimm survival guidebook. She also found a journal to record the most useful information to take along with them instead of lugging around several books.

Weiss spent her time watching over Yang, fussing over her, studying her books, and recording information into the journal. It wasn't particularly exciting, but it all had to be done, and she knew that she would be restless if she couldn't keep an eye on her companion, who seemed happy to have her around.

She was sure to mention their expenses since Yang had fallen into a coma, though the brawler didn't seem to care; she trusted Weiss to spend the money wisely, and told her as such.

The night before they were to leave, Weiss pulled Pyrrha aside, shuffling awkwardly and avoiding eye contact. The captain recognized that Weiss was bashful of what she was about to say, and knew from experience that the best thing to do would be to simply wait for the words to come. Weiss did not take well to being rushed.

After a long moment, Weiss finally looked Pyrrha in the eye. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior while Yang was comatose. I behaved terribly to both you and Doctor Heilen, and there is no excuse." She lowered her head then in a bow. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha."

The captain blinked. She wasn't entirely sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't an apology. True, Weiss had been less than friendly during her companion's coma, but she could hardly be blamed for it given the circumstances; anyone would be stressed and irritable when the person they cared most about was terribly injured.

"There is no need to apologize," she finally said, waving the gesture away. "The circumstances weren't ideal, so I do not blame you for your actions."

Weiss shot up, a fire in her eyes. "There _is_ a need to apologize! Unfavorable circumstances do not excuse my actions, and my actions were selfish and terribly rude. Please allow me to make it up to you."

Pyrrha could only smile awkwardly, the pressure coming off of Weiss in waves. It seemed that she would have no choice but to accept the apology and indulge the princess's desire to atone for her actions.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Very well, Princess. I accept your apology, and to… make it up to me, I'd like you to…" She was at something of a loss; she couldn't think of anything that Weiss could do to "atone" for what she had done, but if she didn't come up with something satisfactory, she would be pestered until she did.

She jumped when she noticed Weiss leaning towards her expectantly, that fire now joined by a sparkle of what she could assume was eagerness. She swallowed, feeling that pressure increase tenfold.

Then, she heard a clunk as Doctor Heilen and Yang ascended the stairs, carrying the large bathing tub into the room. The sight sparked a flash of inspiration, called upon her memories of Weiss assisting Yang with her bathing.

"I'd like you assist with my bath this evening," she blurted.

It was Weiss's turn to blink, whose face was blank for a moment before it erupted with a look of flustered confusion. "W-what?! What would I assist you with?!"

Now Pyrrha couldn't help but feel bashful. "Er… I have a difficult time reaching a spot on my back and properly washing some of my hair, and I wish for you to assist with that to make it up to me." Too late to turn back now; she made her bed and now she would have to lay in it.

Weiss regarded her shyly, peeking up at her from beneath her lashes, before nodding. "Very well. If that is what it takes, I will do it."

She left then to presumably seek out Doctor Heilen, leaving Pyrrha to release a breath.

Hopefully it would be far less awkward than she anticipated.

* * *

After having apologized to both Doctor Heilen and Pyrrha, Weiss was relieved. Certainly, she had behaved atrociously, and it was only right that she apologize for her deplorable treatment of the both of them. The doctor had waved her off, summarily ignoring any apologies she could offer; she insisted that she was used to the treatment and her attempt at an apology was more than enough to satisfy her.

Pyrrha's request left her oddly flustered; she hadn't expected the typically-reserved captain to be so bold, but so be it. Weiss was not one to go back on her word or make empty promises, so she would fulfill Pyrrha's request.

For some reason though, she felt a touch guilty. As soon as she accepted, she felt a niggling bit of doubt worm its way into her, nagging at the back of her mind that there was something… _wrong_ about accepting it, though she couldn't fathom why. There was nothing inherently wrong with assisting a companion with their bathing, was there? So why was the feeling so _persistent_?

She shook her head; she would simply ignore the feeling and it would go away on its own, surely. She would assist Pyrrha with her bathing and be done with it. Nothing more. The end.

She told herself as much throughout the meal, keeping a watchful eye over Yang as the brawler wolfed down her meal, worried that she might choke on the food she was practically inhaling.

Once they finished and the tub was filled, the three women undressed, Pyrrha respectfully turning the other way to give Weiss the privacy that would be expected were she still a part of the royalty. Weiss herself didn't particularly care, but she was not about to insist the captain face her while they undressed; such a thing would be uncouth, not to mention embarrassing.

They settled into the hot water, which they would not be able to enjoy again for quite a while, each of them releasing a blissful sigh as they sunk lower and lower. The fire roared nearby, and the wind that blustered outside only served to make everything feel cozier. Truly, this was paradise.

It was quiet for several moments, each of them content to simply enjoy their limited time for what it was. There would be a lot of hardships ahead of them, but they would persevere and make it through, but until that time, they would allow themselves to indulge in one of the simplest pleasures.

They began to scrub themselves using the soap that Doctor Heilen had provided for them, enjoying the scent of mint that had been infused into the bars. The doctor had been kind enough to gift them a few to use on their journey.

"Princess? If you would be so kind as to assist me now, I would appreciate it," Pyrrha said, turning her back towards the princess and moving her long mane of flaming hair aside.

Yang blinked as Weiss moved over to sit in front of the captain's back. "What's going on?"

"I'm repaying Pyrrha in apology for my atrocious behavior towards her whilst you were asleep," Weiss said, her brows knit in concentration as she set upon scrubbing Pyrrha's back with the soap and a cloth.

"Right… And that involves helping her bathe?" Yang winced as the words came out more harshly than she intended. She knew that Weiss was earnest when it came to matters such as this, but she couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that burned in her chest. Of course, Weiss was only helping out of her own obligation, so Yang had no reason to be jealous.

And yet…

Weiss rinsed Pyrrha's back then, letting the warm water wash away the bubbles. "Yes it does. She requested that I assist her with her bathing as a form of repayment, and so I am doing just that. It would be wrong of me to demand something else."

She tapped the Captain's shoulder. "You can let your hair back down. I'll wash it now." Once Pyrrha did so, Weiss lathered her hands with soap and got to work, carefully carding her fingers through the captain's fiery locks and occasionally scrubbing at her scalp in a way that made Pyrrha's eyes fall shut.

"That feels lovely, Princess. Thank you very much," Pyrrha said softly.

Yang could tell that the water was heating up around her as she silently stewed, and she forced herself to calm down. She and Weiss were companions and nothing more, so she had no reason to be jealous. Besides, she didn't like to let people touch her hair, so there wouldn't be a lot for Weiss to do anyway. And furthermore, Weiss had helped her with her bathing during her recovery several times, so Weiss helping Pyrrha bathe once wasn't a reason to be jealous.

She reminded herself of these facts, and yet the feeling stubbornly remained. Of course she understood that despite them being nothing more than traveling companions on the surface, they had something special together. They shared a bond that was unlike anything Yang had ever experienced in her life before, and she treasured it deeply. She had put these thoughts and feelings out of her mind before -believing that their circumstances were too unstable at the time—but now, after nearly dying, she didn't want to waste any more time.

She, Yang Xiao Long, loved Weiss Schnee.

The jealousy burning in her chest would have been enough of a tell on its own if she hadn't already been aware of her own feelings. Now though, it was a matter of whether Weiss would accept her. There was a lot of risk involved –a lack of reciprocation could lead to difficulty being around each other in the future—but she wanted to pursue it, despite the risks.

Still, Weiss's birth and her circumstances prevented her from gaining worldly experience, and Yang wouldn't doubt that Weiss would be unfamiliar with many of her own emotions. She knew that she would have to tread carefully when the time for her confession came, and she would have to ensure that Weiss understood that she had no obligation to reciprocate. She simply wanted her feelings to be known, and Weiss could do with them what she wished. She would open her heart to the girl, and expect nothing in return; it was as simple as that.

She realized she had been pondering her thoughts for several moments when Pyrrha thanked Weiss for her help, returning to washing herself on her own. She was surprised when Weiss turned to her then, gesturing at Yang with a bar of soap.

"Would you like me to help you wash your back?" she asked, a soft smile on her face.

"Wouldn't that take away from your repayment to Pyrrha?" Yang couldn't help but ask, glancing up to find the captain bearing a cheshire grin.

"Oh, I don't mind. She has already repaid me in full, and helping you won't take away from that." Her grin only widened as she regarded Yang, and the brawler couldn't help but feel like she was being read like an open book.

"So there you have it. What do you think?" There was a bit of color to Weiss's cheeks, but Yang decided to chalk it up to the heat so she wouldn't get her hopes up.

She hesitated for a split second before relenting with a nod and a quiet, "Please."

Just as Pyrrha had done, she moved her hair aside, sighing happily when she felt Weiss's delicate hands begin scrubbing her back. It was nice to be touched by the person you loved, Yang realized, and she couldn't help but close her eyes at the pleasant sensation. The moment was made even more pleasant when Weiss began to quietly sing a tune about new beginnings, a song Yang recognized as being fairly popular among the people given the number of bards she had heard singing it. It was fitting for their journey, and she hoped that theirs would be as successful as the singer's journey was.

Weiss rinsed her back then, and she hummed at the pleasant feeling of the water rolling down her back. Her mind flashed to Weiss washing Pyrrha's hair, and she brought her hands up to her mane, only to freeze before touching it. Her hands hovered there, shaking as she tried to convince herself to let Weiss wash her hair.

She jumped when she felt a hand gently grasp hers. Weiss was looking at her with a smile that was so kind it almost hurt, and for a brief second, she thought she could feel her heart twinge.

"It's okay, Yang. You don't have to force yourself. When, or if, you are ever ready to share your burdens, I will be here for you." She pressed a soft kiss to scarred knuckles. "I will always be here for you."

Yang felt tears prick at her eyes, and she quickly looked away, hiding them beneath her bangs. She grasped the hand that held hers and gave it a small squeeze, unable to trust herself to speak. Weiss seemed to understand though, squeezing back with enough strength for Yang to draw from.

To be able to love such a wonderful person, Yang felt like she was the luckiest on Remnant.

* * *

They settled in for bed that night with Weiss pressed closely to Yang's front, her breath tickling Yang's collarbone. Yang curled around her, wrapping one arm around the smaller girl's torso, while the other came up to caress the back of her head. Sleeping together like this was common for them, but now, for Yang, it meant even more than it once had.

Tomorrow, they would leave Mitte and resume their journey after so long. But for now, Yang would enjoy what she had with the person she loved.

* * *

 **What'd y'all think? Pyrrha and Yang had discussed Yang's feelings a few chapters ago, and now she finally admits to them! They're halfway to the Freezerburn ahaha! I hope y'all enjoyed! Until next time~!**


	22. On the Road Again

**Hello, hello. This is a bit late but whatever. It's out and that's what counts. I've made some edits to the previous couple of chapters so please take a look at them again if you have the time. Enjoy~!**

* * *

The sunrise came earlier than any of the travelers would have liked, but there was no stopping it; today was the day they would set out after a long delay. Snow had likely begun falling at the higher levels of the mountains, and there would likely be snow waiting for them once they made it through the pass. Despite that, they were ready; they had winter clothes, blankets, sturdy boots, and Weiss, armed with knowledge of survival skills and field medicine.

Yang wished they'd had time to purchase a tent, but it was too late now. They would have to wait until the next town to purchase. She simply hoped that they wouldn't come to regret such a decision.

Still, if things got bad, Yang would gladly let herself freeze if it meant Weiss could be warm. She would lay down her life with a moment's notice, and it would be worth it so long as Weiss stayed alive and healthy. No doubt, she would be scolded were she to try anything reckless, but it was something she would deal with if that time ever came. A problem for future Yang, as it were.

The group packed up their things and headed down the stairs, pleasantly surprised to find that Doctor Heilen had made them a veritable feast before their departure, the dining table completely covered by fruits, sizzling meats, eggs, bread, and cheese.

"Good morning, you three. How did you enjoy your bath?" she asked, gesturing for the travelers to take a seat.

"It was heavenly," Weiss said, giving a nod to Yang in thanks as the latter pushed in her chair. "I only wish it wasn't the last one we will get to enjoy for a while. I must admit they are my favorite thing about arriving in a town."

"I agree," Pyrrha said, taking a large bite out of her eggs she had piled onto her plate. "I haven't been out on long missions before, so I didn't realize how much of a luxury they are when traveling."

Yang nodded in agreement, her mouth busy with devouring every bit of food she could get her hands on. Normally, Weiss would have scolded her for her horrendous lack of table manners, but Yang's appetite had been nothing short of ravenous since waking up. Beyond that, this would be their last full meal for a while, so they would have to enjoy it while they had the chance.

Weiss followed Yang's example and tucked into her meal, scooping up eggs, meats, and cheese in the same forkful before shoveling it into her mouth. Pyrrha, seeing that manners were to be disregarded for this meal, followed suit, taking heaping bites of everything.

Doctor Heilen looked on with a smile, eating her own food at a much slower pace. It was nice that the three of them felt as comfortable around each other as they did; they didn't feel the need to keep up appearances or anything of the sort, and it showed the strength of their bond.

Silently, she prayed to the Maidens that they would have safe travels through the snowy hellscape that was Atlas's winters. She had seen what the cold could do to people far too often, and she could only hope that their strengths and their bonds would see them through their journey.

When the food had gone, Doctor Heilen surprised them once more with a large tent, wrapped up tightly for ease of transportation. "Amelia decided to gift this to you three, both as an apology for scaring you all, and because she felt that a bookseller had no real need for one any longer."

Yang gaped, but took the burlap material in her hands gingerly. There was no way things were so convenient. "Why… why are you giving this to us?"

The doctor blinked, then laughed. "I already told you. Besides, it seemed like you all didn't have one with you, so this works out perfectly, doesn't it?"

"Too perfectly, honestly," Yang said, still in disbelief. "Thank you very much." She bowed low, and she could hear Pyrrha and Weiss follow suit.

"Whoa, whoa! I didn't give it to you three so I could see you bow to me. Just promise me you'll come back to visit someday. And write to me every once in a while. Sound good?"

"Of course," Weiss said, rising from her bow with a smile. "We'll never forget your kindness."

Yang stepped forward then, holding out a handful of lien for the doctor to take.

"What's this?" Doctor Heilen asked. She hadn't held out her hand for Yang to drop the coin into, waiting for her answer.

"Your payment," Yang said. "You can't honestly expect us not to pay you after all you've done for us."

The doctor shrugged. "You all have been through enough without me wringing you dry. Keep your coin."

Yang shook her head, continuing to hold her hand out. "No can do, Doctor. It's the least we can do to repay you. Take it."

Doctor Heilen looked as if she wished to protest further, but at the determined looks from Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha, she relented with a sigh, holding out her hand to let the lien drop into it. "Fine. I know when I'm beat."

She dropped the coin into the pocket of her coat before pulling the three girls into a tight hug. "Be safe out there, alright? You're all each other has, so remember that when things get tough."

"We will," Weiss said, tucking her face into the crook of the doctor's neck to stave off tears.

They parted a moment after, their eyes misty as they waved goodbye, stepping out into the chilly air. Snow was gently falling in large flakes, not quite sticking to the cobblestone streets, but taking time to completely melt nonetheless. It was good they were leaving now; snowfall in Mitte meant that winter was well on its way. They had precious little time left before traveling through the pass would become arduous.

The streets were quiet as the town had yet to fully awaken, the only real noise coming from the vendors moving their goods out into the town square. They stopped by a baker, whose bread they smelled from several feet away, and bought a few loaves for the trip, wrapped up tightly to keep them warm as long as possible.

They approached the gate, looking back to the town that had been their home for a few weeks before sharing a glance and heading out onto the road. It would be a long, difficult journey, but surely, as long as they were together, they would be able to make it through.

They had each other, and that was enough.

* * *

Down the mountain pass, the snow had begun to accumulate as the day went on. It was nothing that would impede them, but it was enough to hear the crunch of it underneath their boots. The world seemed to go quiet, sounds muffled by the blanket forming over it; bird chirps were faint, no echo to be heard through the crags and trees, and smaller animals moved noiselessly about the bushes.

It was a pleasant sight, and Weiss had giggled more than once as she watched rabbits –their fur white like the snow around them—hop about and forage for food when they thought the travelers weren't looking.

Yang smiled as she watched her companion all-but coo at the fuzzy creatures, happy to see Weiss enjoying herself, and happy that she could be there to witness that same joy.

Pyrrha gave her a nudge, smiling knowingly. "I know you're happy to see the Princess enjoying herself, but don't forget to keep watch for any predators, alright?"

Yang nearly flushed at the words, but managed to wrangle her expression into a half-grin. She hoped her cheeks weren't burning. "I got it, I got it. Keep your eyes peeled too, yeah?"

"Of course," Pyrrha said, adjusting the tent that she had strapped to her shoulders. "But I'm not the one trapped in a daze, so you don't need to worry about me."

"I'm not in a daze," Yang hissed, remembering to keep her voice down at the last second. If Weiss questioned her about their conversation, she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep a straight face.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, though there was mirth in her emerald orbs. "Right~!"

They walked silently for another minute, Weiss entirely oblivious to what was transpiring between her two companions, before Pyrrha spoke up again.

"So I take it you've found your answer?"

Yang squinted at her. "…What answer?"

Pyrrha shrugged seemingly-nonchalantly, though the grin on her face betrayed the action. "The answer for how you feel about the Princess, of course. You must know by now, surely."

"What makes you say that?"

Pyrrha nearly snorted, though reigned it into a cough. "The way you're looking at her is less than platonic, Yang. Besides, you were pretty jealous when Weiss was washing my hair yesterday, weren't you?"

Yang wanted to deny it –truly she did—but there was no point. Pyrrha had seen through her, and she doubted the captain was going to toss her to the Grimm for holding an affection for the former princess.

"Was it that obvious?" she asked with a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck.

This time, Pyrrha did snort, muffling it just enough that Weiss wouldn't hear from her spot several steps ahead. "Almost painfully so. I would say I'm surprised Weiss hasn't noticed, but I'm truly not. There wasn't much time for love in Atlas Castle after all."

Yang nodded somberly. "That's why I'm gonna take it slow. She needs to be allowed to process her feelings and recognize them at her own pace. I don't want to overwhelm her."

Pyrrha clapped a hand onto her shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, I haven't seen her this fond of someone in a long time. You're certainly important to her."

"I'm glad," Yang said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Yang, Pyrrha! Come look," Weiss whispered urgently, her smile so wide it likely hurt. She gestured for her two companions to follow her, and they did so with a glance between them and a shrug.

"You have to keep quiet. I don't want to scare it away," Weiss said, her voice low as they crept towards the brush along the side of the trail. "Up there," she said, pointing up the craggy cliff face.

Atop one of the rock formations was a lynx, its fur thick with its winter coat, and it trailed its gaze across the landscape, looking for prey. Weiss gazed at it with awe, her jaw dropping with a smile as she took in the sight of the animal within its natural habitat.

"It's it beautiful?" she whispered breathlessly. Any louder and she feared she would shatter the magic.

"Indeed, it is, Princess," Pyrrha said with a smile, happy the princess was able to enjoy the wonders of her kingdom.

"It really is," Yang said with a nod. She glanced to the sky, noting that snowflakes were beginning to fall quickly. "We had better keep moving. The last thing we want is to get stuck somewhere in a blizzard."

The other two nodded, resuming their journey with Weiss giving a final lasting look at the animal. Surely she would see one again.

They continued on, noting the crunch of snow beneath their feet becoming louder, the depth of it increasing. Above, it showed no signs of letting up. It would be best to find shelter soon, Yang concluded.

"The snow doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon," she said.

"You're right. It's really coming down heavily," Weiss agreed, pulling her coat and cloak tighter around herself. "We should find shelter soon, shouldn't we?"

As if the Winter Maiden herself were responding to Weiss's question, a howling gust of wind tore through the mountain path, chilling the three companions to the bone, pelting them with the flakes that had shrunk in size but increased in number.

"We should find shelter now," Yang amended with a shout, unable to be heard at any volume lower than that.

Pyrrha pointed ahead to a rock face further down the path. "Do you two see how the rock seems to form a ring further down there? That must be a cave."

Weiss squinted for a moment, struggling to catch sight of it through the snow. "It would be worth it to take a look."

Yang nodded, though she had her doubts. Where there was a cave, there was likely to be an animal of some kind, especially with the impending storm and winter well on its way. They would have to hope it was something less threatening, like a fox or something like that.

They trudged their way down the path, careful of their footing along the steady decline. If they slipped, it was likely they would fall quite a ways, and Yang was keen to not let Weiss experience another fall like she had so long ago. Thus, slow and steady was the best approach, though not the warmest one.

Pyrrha collected branches from some of the trees they passed to use for firewood; the more they collected now, the less work they would have to do later. Besides that, there was no telling if the storm would worsen, so it was best to do what they could while they could.

Time kept marching along with them, and the light was beginning to dim, though from their estimates it was likely only 4 o'clock in the evening. Winter was truly on its way. Their progress was hampered by the increasing snow, and they expended more energy with each step. It wouldn't be long before the snow reached Weiss's knees.

After a seemingly-eternal trudge with little progress, they arrived at the cave, cheeks reddened by the cold and lungs burning with effort.

Yang leaned in close to Weiss and Pyrrha, the three huddling at the cave entrance. "Weiss, you wait here just off to the side of the cave mouth. Pyrrha and I will head in and check to see if there's anything inside. Don't move until we say so, alright?"

Weiss nodded, taking her place to the side of the cave mouth. "Very well. Be careful, you two."

Yang readied her gauntlets, locking them into position and pulling her arm back until she heard the telltale click that signified they were loaded.

Pyrrha shifted her spear into its rifle form. She gestured to Yang. "You can take point. I'll cover you from the back just in case."

"Got it. Let's go."

Slowly and quietly, Yang and Pyrrha entered the cave, their forms hunched and low, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The cave itself was large enough to accommodate their standing heights with plenty of room to spare, and was fairly deep, the light unable to reach much farther than a few feet.

Yang raised her hand suddenly, and they both stopped. Ahead, the sound of deep breathing echoed, occasional snuffles interrupting. The sound was low and guttural, a feral sound that raised the hairs on the backs of their necks. There was no mistaking the sound.

 _A bear._

* * *

 **First an Ursa and now a bear. These three can't catch a break when it comes to the bigger creatures out there, huh? In case it wasn't super clear, the cave was a ways down from their current position, and the snow made it take even longer than it normally would have. Until next time~!**


End file.
